KUGOMPO CITY- The University of Fort Hare(UFH) has launched the Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga International Moot Court Competition, a new platform aimed at preparing law students to engage with complex legal issues and compete on the international stage.
Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga officially launched the competition at the Miriam Makeba Centre of Performance Arts in KuGompo City on Friday, 07 August.
Hosted by the university’s Faculty of Law, the launch honoured Madlanga’s contribution to constitutional law, his commitment to legal education and his longstanding ties to Fort Hare.
The competition is designed to give law students practical experience in legal research, writing, advocacy and critical thinking through simulated court proceedings.
It will also provide a platform for students to engage with contemporary legal questions while creating opportunities for collaboration between universities, the judiciary and the broader legal profession.
The launch brought together judges, legal practitioners, academics, students and government officials. Among the expected guests were Justice Nambitha Dambuza, Professor Charles Maimela, Professor Jose Mastrodi and Chief Magistrate Nazeem Joemath.
Justice Madlanga said he was humbled by the decision to attach his name to the competition, but stressed that the focus should remain on the students who would participate.
“It’s a huge honour and I’m touched. I find it humbling and also heart-warming, but I also prefer it to not be all about me but about the mooters themselves. I just happen to be the person whose name happens to be chosen by the Fort Hare Law Faculty.”
He credited Fort Hare’s mooters for the work that had gone into developing the initiative.
“The real people behind this are the excellent mooters of Fort Hare who assisted with all the excellent work.”
Dean of Law at the higher institution Professor Mzukisi Njotini said the competition would expose students to legal questions extending beyond South Africa’s borders.
“The opportunity given to the mooters will give them a greater understanding of law, not only regarding South African challenges but will also enable them to compete globally,” Prof. Njotini said.
He said the competition would also encourage students to look beyond the more familiar areas of legal practice and engage with fields such as competition and consumer law.
Njotini said human rights would remain an important thread running through many areas of law.
“The most important aspects are those hidden topics, for example competition and consumer regulations, but we know that human rights cut across. You almost will not talk about any field in law without talking about human rights,” he said.
He said students would therefore be encouraged to consider the human-rights implications of issues ranging from competition law to consumer regulation.
For Madlanga, the initiative also carries significance for the future of South Africa’s judiciary.
Asked about the importance of the moot court programme, he said it provided reason for optimism about the country’s legal system.
“This gives us hope in terms of our judicial system because largely judicial officers especially are drawn from among the ranks of legal practitioners, so this gives us hope for the future of our judicial system,” Madlanga said.
The official launch included the unveiling of branded merchandise bearing the competition’s new logo, marking the beginning of what Fort Hare hopes will become a flagship event in legal education.
The Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga International Moot Court Competition places Fort Hare at the intersection of constitutional discourse, legal education and professional development.
It also seeks to honour Madlanga’s contribution to South Africa’s legal landscape while creating opportunities for a new generation of aspiring legal practitioners to sharpen the skills required in the courtroom and beyond.
Photographs: Amahle July
Amahle July
10 August 2026
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