On September 13, 2019, I had the honor of interviewing Judge Edwin Cameron, Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. I was on a trip to South Africa sponsored by the Society of International Business Fellows and this group spent one hour in their supreme court building, which is worth describing. It was built from the bricks that housed Nelson Mandela in his jail cell. There are glass windows all around this building but they only show the feet and ankles of people walking by. This is symbolic, as it demonstrates that justices are not looking at who is well-dressed and put together, but only at the feet of the people which are basically all alike.

Justice Cameron was appointed to the court by Nelson Mandela during the country’s transition from a system of apartheid to one of majority rule. The court’s cases range from dealing with racial discrimination to freedom of speech and beyond. I found it fascinating to read some of these cases and to learn about this justice who is a white man and an AIDS survivor and who is vocal about coming out to the people about this disease. He is one of the most respected individuals in their legal system. He is stepping down from the court to take over as director of their penal system, which he feels is in desperate need of repair.