View source for Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox Political post
| post = <small>South Africa</small> <br />Minister
| body = Justice and Constitutional Development
| flag = Flag of South Africa.svg{{!}}border
| flagsize = 110px
| flagcaption = [[Flag of South Africa]]
| insignia = 
| insigniasize = 100px
| insigniacaption = [[Coat of arms of South Africa|Coat of Arms]]
| department = [[Department of Justice and Constitutional Development]]
| alt = 
| incumbent = [[Mmamoloko Kubayi]]
| incumbentsince = 3 December 2024
| style = [[The Honourable]]
| residence = 
| appointer = [[President of South Africa]]
| termlength = 
| inaugural = [[J. B. M. Hertzog]]
| formation = 31 May 1910
| last = 
| end = 
| succession = 
| deputy = [[Andries Nel]]
| salary = [[South African rand|R]]2 401 633<ref>{{cite web |date=14 May 2021|url=https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/490451/heres-how-much-south-africas-ministers-and-other-top-government-officials-will-get-paid-this-year/ |title=Here's how much South Africa's ministers and other top government officials will get paid this year |website=BusinessTech |access-date=17 November 2021}}</ref>
}}

The '''minister of justice and constitutional development''' is the [[justice minister]] in the [[Cabinet of South Africa]]. The minister is the political head of the [[Department of Justice and Constitutional Development]] and the [[Chief Justice of South Africa|Office of the Chief Justice]]. DoJCD in turn is responsible for administrative support to the courts, oversight of the [[National Prosecuting Authority]], the provision of legal services to departments of state, and law reform. 

The minister was called the '''minister of justice''' until 1999, when [[Constitution of South Africa|constitutional]] matters were added to his portfolio. Between May 2014 and June 2024, the [[Department of Correctional Services (South Africa)|Department of Correctional Services]] was subsumed under the ministry, which was led by the '''minister of justice and correctional services'''. This merger was reversed at the outset of President [[Cyril Ramaphosa]]'s [[Third Cabinet of Cyril Ramaphosa|third cabinet]], when a separate [[Minister of Correctional Services (South Africa)|minister of correctional services]] was appointed.

== History ==
In the 20th century, the South African justice minister was called the minister of justice. His purview included prisons until late 1990, when President [[F. W. de Klerk]] announced extensive prison reforms and established a separate [[Minister of Prisons (South Africa)|Ministry of Prisons]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Administration of Justice|url=https://www.justice.gov.za/about/sa-yearbook/admin_justice.htm|access-date=2021-11-17|website=Department of Justice and Constitutional Development}}</ref> Constitutional matters were also a separate portfolio under the minister of constitutional development,<ref>{{Cite web |date=1997-06-11 |title=Apartheid cabinet supported Witdoek vigilantes |url=https://mg.co.za/article/1997-06-11-apartheid-cabinet-supported-witdoek-vigilantes/ |access-date=2021-11-17 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1999-04-16 |title=Masters of the (late) universe |url=https://mg.co.za/article/1999-04-16-masters-of-the-late-universe/ |access-date=2021-11-17 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref> and then from 1994 under the [[Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs|minister of constitutional development and provincial affairs]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Composition of the Cabinet |url=https://tpy.nelsonmandela.org/pages/part-i-democratic-breakthrough/forming-the-government-of-national-unity/3-3-composition-of-the-cabinet |access-date=2021-11-17 |website=Nelson Mandela: The Presidential Years |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1994-05-11 |title=Glance At Mandela's Cabinet With AM-South Africa |url=https://apnews.com/article/d74ce383d466e8a2f94ef55229ee9292 |access-date=2011-11-17 |website=AP News}}</ref> At the outset of the [[Second Cabinet of Thabo Mbeki|second cabinet]] of President [[Thabo Mbeki]] in June 1999, constitutional development was detached from provincial affairs and subsumed under justice, under the minister of justice and constitutional development.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1999-06-17 |title=Profiles of the cabinet ministers |url=https://mg.co.za/article/1999-06-17-profiles-of-the-cabinet-ministers/ |access-date=2021-11-17 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}}</ref> 

A further merger took place in May 2014, at the outset of President [[Jacob Zuma]]'s [[Second Cabinet of Jacob Zuma|second cabinet]], when correctional services was subsumed under the ministry, creating the minister of justice and correctional services.<ref>{{cite web|date=25 May 2014|title=President Jacob Zuma announces members of the National Executive, Pretoria|url=http://www.thepresidency.gov.za/pebble.asp?relid=17453|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527215846/http://www.thepresidency.gov.za/pebble.asp?relid=17453|archive-date=27 May 2014|access-date=18 July 2014|website=The Presidency}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Wynn|first1=Craig|date=25 May 2014|title=Zuma announces new Cabinet|work=EWN|url=http://ewn.co.za/2014/05/25/Zuma-announces-new-Cabinet|url-status=live|access-date=18 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528035409/http://ewn.co.za/2014/05/25/Zuma-announces-new-Cabinet|archive-date=28 May 2014}}</ref> However, the [[Department of Correctional Services (South Africa)|Department of Correctional Services]] remained distinct from the [[Department of Justice and Constitutional Development]]; although they shared a political head or executive authority, they were operationally and legislatively distinct.<ref name=":0" /> They reported to the same parliamentary body, the [[Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services]], but separately. Each of the two deputy ministers was responsible for one portfolio: [[John Jeffery (South African politician)|John Jeffery]] was responsible for the justice portfolio,<ref>{{cite web |title=Justice and Correctional Services - Justice [ Deputy Ministry of ] |url=https://www.gov.za/about-government/contact-directory/ministers/ministers/justice-and-correctional-services-justice |access-date=8 August 2020 |website=South African Government}}</ref> and [[Thabang Makwetla]] and his successor, [[Patekile Holomisa]], were responsible for correctional services.<ref>{{cite web |title=Justice and Correctional Services - Corrections [ Deputy Ministry of ] |url=https://www.gov.za/about-government/contact-directory/ministers/ministers/justice-and-correctional-services-corrections |access-date=8 August 2020 |website=South African Government}}</ref>

Appointing [[Third Cabinet of Cyril Ramaphosa|his third cabinet]] on 30 June 2024, President [[Cyril Ramaphosa]] reversed the merger effected by Zuma, appointing a minister of justice and constitutional development alongside a separate [[Minister of Correctional Services (South Africa)|minister of correctional services]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 June 2024 |title=Statement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on the appointment of members of the national executive |url=https://www.thepresidency.gov.za/statement-president-cyril-ramaphosa-appointment-members-national-executive |access-date=6 July 2024 |work=Presidency of South Africa}}</ref>

Three prime ministers have been minister of justice, including two – [[Jan Smuts]] and [[John Vorster|B. J. Vorster]] – who held the position directly before being elected prime minister. In 2004, [[Brigitte Mabandla]] became the first woman to be appointed to the portfolio.

==List of ministers==

=== Justice (1910–1999) ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Minister
!Party
!Incumbency
!President
!Deputy
|-
|[[J. B. M. Hertzog]]
|[[South African Party|SAP]]
|1910–1912
|[[Louis Botha]]
|
|-
|[[Jacobus Wilhelmus Sauer]]
|[[South African Party|SAP]]
|1912–1913
|[[Louis Botha]]
|
|-
|[[Nicolaas Jacobus de Wet]]
|[[South African Party|SAP]]
|1913–1924
|[[Louis Botha]]
[[Jan Smuts]]
|
|-
|[[Tielman Roos]]
|[[National Party (South Africa)|NP]]
|1924–1929
|[[J. B. M. Hertzog]]
|
|-
|[[Oswald Pirow]]
|[[National Party (South Africa)|NP]]
|1929–1933
|[[J. B. M. Hertzog]]
|
|-
|[[Jan Smuts]]
|[[South African Party|SAP]]/[[United Party (South Africa)|UP]]
|1933–1939
|[[J. B. M. Hertzog]]
|
|-
|[[Colin Fraser Steyn]]
|[[United Party (South Africa)|UP]]
|1939–1945
|[[Jan Smuts]]
|
|-
|[[Harry Lawrence]]
|[[United Party (South Africa)|UP]]
|1945–1948
|[[Jan Smuts]]
|
|-
|[[Charles Robberts Swart]]
|[[National Party (South Africa)|NP]]
|1948–1959
|[[Daniel François Malan]]
[[J. G. Strijdom]]

[[Hendrik Verwoerd]]
|
|-
|[[Frans Erasmus]]
|[[National Party (South Africa)|NP]]
|1959–1961
|[[Hendrik Verwoerd]]
|
|-
|[[B. J. Vorster]]
|[[National Party (South Africa)|NP]]
|1961–1966
|[[Hendrik Verwoerd]]
|
|-
|[[Petrus Cornelius Pelser]]
|[[National Party (South Africa)|NP]]
|1966–1974
|[[B. J. Vorster]]
|
|-
|[[Jimmy Kruger]]
|[[National Party (South Africa)|NP]]
|1974–1979
|[[B. J. Vorster]]
[[P. W. Botha]]
|
|-
|[[Alwyn Schlebusch]]
|[[National Party (South Africa)|NP]]
|1979–1980
|[[P. W. Botha]]
|
|-
|[[Kobie Coetsee]]
|[[National Party (South Africa)|NP]]
|1980–1994
|[[P. W. Botha]]

[[F. W. de Klerk]]
|
|-
|[[Dullah Omar]]
|[[African National Congress|ANC]]
|10 May 1994 – 14 June 1999
|[[Nelson Mandela]] <small>([[Cabinet of Nelson Mandela|I]])</small>
|{{plainlist|
*[[Chris Fismer]]
*[[Gert Myburgh]]
*[[Sheila Camerer]]}}
|}

===Justice and constitutional development (1999–2014) ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Minister
!Party
!Incumbency
!President
!Deputy
|-
|[[Penuell Maduna]]
|[[African National Congress|ANC]]
|18 June 1999 – 29 April 2004
|[[Thabo Mbeki]] <small>([[First Cabinet of Thabo Mbeki|I]])</small>
|[[Cheryl Gillwald]]
|-
|[[Brigitte Mabandla]]
|[[African National Congress|ANC]]
|29 April 2004 – 24 September 2008
|[[Thabo Mbeki]] <small>([[Second Cabinet of Thabo Mbeki|II]])</small>
|[[Johnny de Lange]]
|-
|[[Enver Surty]]
|[[African National Congress|ANC]]
|25 September 2008 – 9 May 2009
|[[Kgalema Motlanthe]] <small>([[Cabinet of Kgalema Motlanthe|I]])</small>
|[[Johnny de Lange]]
|-
|[[Jeff Radebe]]
|[[African National Congress|ANC]]
|10 May 2009 – 24 May 2014
|[[Jacob Zuma]] <small>([[First Cabinet of Jacob Zuma|I]])</small>
|[[Andries Nel]]

[[John Jeffery (South African politician)|John Jeffery]]
|}

=== Justice and correctional services (2014–2024) ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Minister
!Party
!Incumbency
!President
!Deputies
|-
|[[Michael Masutha]]
|[[African National Congress|ANC]]
|25 May 2014 – 29 May 2019
|[[Jacob Zuma]] <small>([[Second Cabinet of Jacob Zuma|II]])</small>
[[Cyril Ramaphosa]] <small>([[First Cabinet of Cyril Ramaphosa|I]])</small>
|[[John Jeffery (South African politician)|John Jeffery]] (DoJCD)
[[Thabang Makwetla]] (DCS)
|-
|[[Ronald Lamola]]
|[[African National Congress|ANC]]
|30 May 2019 – 19 June 2024
|[[Cyril Ramaphosa]] <small>([[Second Cabinet of Cyril Ramaphosa|II]])</small>
|[[John Jeffery (South African politician)|John Jeffery]] (DoJCD)
[[Patekile Holomisa]] (DCS)
|}

=== Justice and constitutional development (2024–present) ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Minister
!Party
!Incumbency
!President
!Deputies
|-
|[[Mmamoloko Kubayi]]
|[[African National Congress|ANC]]
|3 December 2024 – ''present''
|[[Cyril Ramaphosa]] <small>([[Third Cabinet of Cyril Ramaphosa|III]])</small>
|[[Andries Nel]]
|-
|[[Thembi Simelane]]
|[[African National Congress|ANC]]
|3 July 2024 – 3 December 2024
|[[Cyril Ramaphosa]] <small>([[Third Cabinet of Cyril Ramaphosa|III]])</small>
|[[Andries Nel]]
|}

==Institutions overseen by the ministry==
The following institutions are housed in the justice and correctional services portfolio, although most have a significant degree of operational and statutory independence:

* [[Department of Justice and Constitutional Development]]
* [[Chief Justice of South Africa|Office of the Chief Justice]]
* [[Public Protector]]
* [[National Prosecuting Authority]]
* Legal Aid South Africa
* [[South African Human Rights Commission]]
* [[Electoral Commission of South Africa|Electoral Commission]]
* [[Judicial Service Commission (South Africa)|Judicial Service Commission]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}{{SouthAfricaJusticeMinisters}}
{{SACabinet}}

[[Category:Government ministers of South Africa|Justice]]
[[Category:Justice ministers of South Africa| ]]