Cameron on Constitutional Court list

Cameron on Constitutional Court list

Sunday Times, South Africa - Sunday, April 25, 1999
Carmel Rickard

JUDGE Edwin Cameron, who stunned South Africa by disclosing he had AIDS this week, heads the list of four judges whose names have been sent to President Nelson Mandela by the Judicial Service Commission for a decision on who will fill the vacancy in the Constitutional Court.

The others on the alphabetically ordered list are judges Andre Erasmus, Sandile Ncgobo and Kees van Dijkhorst.

The commission also announced the names of seven successful High Court candidates.

Judge John Hlope was appointed deputy judge president of the Cape Town High Court, while Judge Edward Stafford was named deputy judge president of the Pretoria High Court. Essa Moosa and Jolyon Knoll were appointed to the Cape Town High Court, while Hendrick Mmolli Musi became the first black judge at the Bloemfontein High Court.

Zweledinga Sabbath Peko was appointed to the Bench of the Bisho High Court and Ray Zondo to the Pretoria High Court.

Meanwhile, the government has been accused of "scandalously misusing" Judge Cameron's disclosure to back its view that HIV/AIDS should be a notifiable disease.

Deputy President Thabo Mbeki, who has voiced his support for the disclosure of HIV/AIDS to be made compulsory, was one of the first to welcome Judge Cameron's announcement.

His office said that disclosure was necessary to help curb the spread of the disease.

However, Judge Cameron stressed that it was internationally accepted that one should not be asked about one's HIV status and that, if asked, one was not obliged to answer.

Mark Heywood, of the AIDS Law Project at the Wits University Centre for Applied Legal Studies, said Judge Cameron had spoken out voluntarily because he could do so without fear, unlike the majority of people with HIV/AIDS, who would be faced with possible stigmatisation and personal danger if their status became known.

It was therefore scandalous that his courageous step should be used by the government as support for its policy, said Heywood.

Judge Cameron heads a committee of the South African Law Commission investigating issues relating to legislation on HIV/AIDS.
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