Professor Bongani Christopher Majola

Professor Bongani Christopher Majola holds a Masters of Law Degree (LLM) from Harvard Law School, USA. Before graduating with an LLM from Harvard Law School in 1988, Prof. Majola obtained a Public Service Law Diploma in 1975, a Public Service Senior Law Certificate (Diploma Legum) in 1977, B. Iuris Degree in 1980, and a Bachelor of Laws Degree in 1982. All qualifications before the Professor’s LLM were obtained at the University of Zululand.

Before being appointed as the Chairperson of the South African Human Rights Commission (the Commission), a seven-year term that commences on the 3 January 2017, Professor Majola served as the Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) and Registrar of the UN International Criminal Tribunal of Rwanda (UNIICTR) from January 2013 to December 2015. From January 2003 to December 2012, Professor Majola supported the Chief Prosecutor as Deputy Chief Prosecutor, UNICTR, in the prosecution of suspects indicted for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the Rwandan genocide of 1994 in which between half a million and eight hundred thousand people were murdered in a period of 100 days.

Locally, Professor Majola headed a public interest litigation organisation, the Legal Resources Centre from May 1996 to January 2003, as National Director. From January 1989 to May 1996, he served at the University of Limpopo, as a Professor and Dean of the faculty of Law. He continued to teach law courses such as Constitutional, Administrative, and Public International Laws, amongst other courses.