Recently retired Constitutional Court judge Edwin Cameron was elected Stellenbosch University's chancellor on Wednesday.
Cameron is an alumnus of the university and received an honorary doctorate from the institution in 2015.
He was elected by an overwhelming majority at a meeting made up of members of the university's council, executive committee of the senate, and the president and vice-president of the Stellenbosch University convocation, the university said in a statement.
"I am honoured and humbled to have this chance to serve [Stellenbosch University] and its communities, and look forward to my new tasks," Cameron said.
Prof Wim de Villiers, rector and vice-chancellor, said: "It is a privilege to have someone of the stature of Judge Edwin Cameron as chancellor of the university. He is a champion for human rights and boasts a distinguished legal career. I look forward to working with him.
"We also thank our current chancellor, Dr Johann Rupert, for his hard work and assistance during his term, which ends on December 31."
In 2015, the university conferred an honorary doctorate on Cameron in acknowledgement of his "unstinting professional and personal advocacy for the recognition of every person's dignity, freedom and equality – foundational values he has helped entrenched in our legal system and beyond".
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