In 1969 Vuka Tshabalala became the first black advocate at the Natal Bar Council. In 1998 he was appointed Deputy Judge President for the Natal Bench, an appointment that faced opposition when 14 white judges petitioned the then Chief Justice, complaining that Tshabalala was inexperienced for the position. He was appointed Judge President in 2000, retired in 2010 and was appointed Chancellor at the Durban University of Technology in 2012.