The Big Decision
As some of you know, I applied for a foreign clerkship on the South African Constitutional Court more than a year ago. Fortuitously, then-Justice Albie Sachs selected me to serve as a clerk for his successor on the Court, Justice van der Westhuizen. It was a huge honor to be selected as a foreign clerk, as only five are selected each year from around the globe, with one spot reserved for a clerk from elsewhere in Africa. The clerkship runs from January – June 2011.
Since I found out I was selected, I have been struggling with whether or not to “take the plunge” and go. One of my main hesitations was safety, as Johannesburg (the location of the Court and where I would be living) is a city known for its violent crime. I warmed up to the idea of living in Joburg after visiting last December with my family and being pleasantly surprised by our comfort level in the city. Safety is still a major concern, though, and I will definitely be playing it extremely safe. Clerking on the Con Court will (I hope) be worth it.
The Con Court is a truly inspirational place, and I was extremely humbled when I visited it with my family last December. The Court is described as:
“. . . the highest in South Africa on constitutional matters, was born of the country’s first democratic Constitution in 1994. In an acclaimed new building at Constitution Hill, the 11 judges stand guard over the Constitution and protect everyone’s human rights.”
Inside the Court
The building itself sits on the former site of the notorious Old Fort Prison that dates back to 1892 and held many high-profile anti-Apartheid activists, including Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Ghandi. The architecture of the new Court building symbolically incorporates parts of the old prison, and the “Great African Steps” connect the new Court building with the old stone wall of the Number Four Prison (the name given to the “frightening” part of the Old Fort Prison where black men were jailed). The courtyard faces the old Awaiting Trial Block.
The Great African Steps
(Photo credit: Emiliano Homrich via Google Earth)
Former Awaiting Trial Block in the new Constitution Square
Awaiting Trial Block
You can read more about the building here. As you can tell, I’m a little obsessed.
So, there it is. I’m nervous/excited/flying-by-the-seat-of-my-pants, but it’s sure to be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Looking forward to seeing more of the country where I was born, seeing family, and learning more about the social and legal history of such a dynamic country.
More to come.
Notes from the Curry Trail 
So will Fetzy come with you??
Not sure yet. Wooten is able to watch her if she doesn’t, and as much as it will break my heart to be away from her for 6 months I don’t necessarily want to put her through the trauma of being underneath a plane for 17+ hours and in quarantine just for my sake… I have to do more research. 😦 At least I know she’ll be well taken care of if she stays with Wooten.
Imogen,
I was in a similar situation before making the move to Istanbul in Jan 2004. Right before I made my decision to move there, there were bombings (Ref: Istanbul Bombings – Nov. 2003. It made everyone nervous, including me. However, my decision was set, I was not going to let the recent events affect the best decision of my life. So, I lived in Istanbul for 3.5 years from Jan. 2004 to May 2007. I learned Turkish fluently and taught English over there, as well. It was an enjoyable experience and it changed me for the better.
I strongly encourage you to go. From my standpoint, I know that I would be questioning myself now if I didn’t take the opportunity then to go to live in Istanbul. And as many older people have told me, do it while you are young. Of course, it’s possible to do it when you’re older, but it’s much easier in your 20s.
I hope this gives you some encouragement. ^_^
Thanks, Christina – that is definitely encouraging. Good for you for sticking it out and carrying through with your plans… I think I’ll also regret it if I don’t go!