New Judge Overcame Grinding Poverty And Hardship To Rise To The Top

From running a small family fruit and vegetable business in the dusty streets of a small town in Mpumalanga 40 years ago to High Court Judge " that's been the meteoric rise of Natvarlal "Natu"� Ranchod who is among President Zuma's recent new judicial appointments.

Ranchod who is High Court Judge for the Pretoria and Johannesburg precincts had a tough upbringing. His family, comprising of his grandmother, parents and nine siblings, lived in a shack built mostly of corrugated iron and two small brick-built bedrooms.

There was no running water, nor any electricity or sewage system available. Natu attended primary school at a so-called "Indian and Coloured"� school where he was almost always at the top of his class.

For his high school education he had to board in Johannesburg as the local high school was reserved for whites only. However, due to financial constraints and lack of proper accommodation, he moved back home and went on to complete from standards six to matriculation by correspondence.

Whilst studying for the matriculation examinations in 1968 his father died and it was his and his eldest brother's lot to provide for the family, including their siblings' education.

Ten years after he matriculated, he was offered the opportunity to further his studies. He grabbed it and proceeded to read for a degree in Law at the University of the Witwatersrand from 1978 to 1981. After completing his articles of clerkship as Candidate Attorney, he was immediately offered a partnership by his principal, which he accepted.

After six years in partnership, he commenced practice for his own account, which he did for about 17 years. His was a general law practice which included criminal trials, civil litigation, commercial law and later, conveyance. He dealt with many cases for the indigent, having often to obtain financial assistance for them from the Legal Aid Board.

The South African Council of Churches funded some political trials where his firm acted as local correspondent for a number of Human Rights Lawyers in the apartheid era. 

He joined the Pretoria and Johannesburg High Courts in August 2004 as an acting Judge, where he dealt with both civil and criminal trials, bail applications, appeals and reviews of cases from the lower courts, and opposed and unopposed matters in the Motion Courts.

 On 1 October 2007, he was appointed assistant Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services (FAIS) Ombud where he has written a number of determinations emphasising the concept of jurisprudence or fairness.

 His passion for youth development has seen him mentor young attorneys - primarily women from historically disadvantaged communities - on case handling, gathering of evidence, identifying the essence of a complaint, mediating and negotiating settlements, and drafting case concepts.

 "I look forward to this new challenge with a large degree of enthusiasm,"� said Ranchod.

"'I am positive that my previous experience will hold me in high stead. I look forward to joining my fellow colleagues in ensuring that justice is served,'' said Ranchod.