Minister of Justice and Correctional Services


The Minister of Justice and Correctional Services is the justice minister in the government of South Africa. He is the political head of the Department of Justice and Correctional Services, which is responsible for administrative support to the courts, oversight of the National Prosecuting Authority, the provision of legal services to departments of state, law reform and Correctional Services.
Prior to May 2014, Correctional Services was a separate department and the justice department was named the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.
the incumbent is Michael Masutha, who was appointed to the position by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2019. His deputies are John Jeffery and Inkosi Phathekile Holomisa.

List

This list contains all persons to hold the position of justice minister from the founding of the Union of South Africa to the current time :
MinisterPartyIncumbencyUnder
J. B. M. HertzogSAP1910–1912Prime Minister Louis Botha
Jacobus Wilhelmus SauerSAP1912–1913Prime Minister Louis Botha
Nicolaas Jacobus de WetSAP1913–1919Prime Minister Louis Botha
Nicolaas Jacobus de WetSAP1919–1924Prime Minister Jan Smuts
Tielman RoosNP1924–1929Prime Minister J. B. M. Hertzog
Oswald PirowNP1929–1933Prime Minister J. B. M. Hertzog
Jan SmutsSAP/UP1933–1939Prime Minister J. B. M. Hertzog
Colin Fraser SteynUP1939–1945Prime Minister Jan Smuts
Harry LawrenceUP1945–1948Prime Minister Jan Smuts
Charles Robberts SwartNP1948–1954Prime Minister Daniel François Malan
Charles Robberts SwartNP1954–1958Prime Minister Johannes Gerhardus Strijdom
Charles Robberts SwartNP1958–1959Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd
Frans ErasmusNP1959–1961Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd
B. J. VorsterNP1961–1966Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd
Petrus Cornelius PelserNP1966–1974Prime Minister B. J. Vorster
Jimmy KrugerNP1974–1978Prime Minister B. J. Vorster
Jimmy KrugerNP1978–1979Prime Minister P. W. Botha
Alwyn SchlebuschNP1979–1980Prime Minister P. W. Botha
Kobie CoetseeNP1980–1984Prime Minister P. W. Botha
Kobie CoetseeNP1984–1989State President P. W. Botha
Kobie CoetseeNP1989–1994State President F. W. de Klerk
Dullah OmarANC1994–1999President Nelson Mandela
Penuell MadunaANC1999–2004President Thabo Mbeki
Brigitte Mabandla ANC29 April 2004 – 25 September 2008President Thabo Mbeki
Enver SurtyANC25 September 2008 – 10 May 2009President Kgalema Motlanthe
Jeff RadebeANC11 May 2009 – 24 May 2014President Jacob Zuma
Michael MasuthaANC25 May 2014 – 29 May 2019President Jacob Zuma
Ronald LamolaANC30 May 2019 - PresentPresident Cyril Ramaphosa