Akani Nkuna
Outgoing Chief Justice Raymond Zondo was full of gratitude for the people of South Africa, his friends, colleagues and his family to whom he dedicated his success.
Reflecting upon his humble beginnings, as a poverty-stricken boy from the rural areas he noted that South Africa is full of endless possibilities.
Zondo spoke of how his unkind upbringing in abject poverty did not kill his dreams and desire to make it in life. Rather, he embraced it, and it is partly because of his past that he is the man he is today – a family man and one whom many have said has integrity and principled.
“A boy who fetched water from the spring, put a bucket of water on his head, climbed a hill to take it to the family home so that the family can cook and wash.
“A boy who looked after goats and cattle, who engaged in stick fighting with other boys. A boy raised by a single parent, a great woman, a resilient woman, can rise and ultimately become Chief Justice of this country,” he said.
“Indeed South Africa is a country of great possibilities. It is a country where somebody can be in prison for 27 years and come out to be president of the county.
“It is a county where somebody without any formal education can rise to be the president of the country,” said Zondo during his speech at the special Constitutional Court ceremony, on Wednesday.
Former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, speaking at the farewell dinner on Tuesday evening also spoke about how he, Chief Justice Zondo and Justice Madondo were the poorest students during their time at the University of Zululand (University of KwaZulu-Natal).
“We were the poorest of the poor. The three of us. When you saw us moving about on campus you would know there goes poverty,” said Mogoeng.
Mogoeng also noted how as a group, the three of them together with Zondo were goal driven and hungry to make it in life. Pushing each other to be excellent achievers with ambitions to be the best senior counsels and attorneys, he said.
INSIDE POLITICS
