Judges in trouble

The South African judiciary has been an unshakeable pillar of strength for our democracy.

When the whole country was falling apart we could always trust the judiciary to deliver fair and equitable justice without fear.

The judges were of impeccable character and beyond reproach, and stood head and shoulders above all of us.

But recently, several judges have got into trouble and brought the judiciary into disrepute.

First in the firing line was retired Judge Nkola Motata who was found guilty of gross misconduct for a drunken-driving offence committed in 2009.

Next was none other than Judge President John Hlophe, who was found guilty of trying to influence two Constitutional Court judges to violate their oaths of office in the Jacob

Zuma corruption case.

The Judicial Services Commission recommended Parliament remove the two delinquent judges from office.

Subsequently the National Assembly adopted the commission’s recommendations and voted by an over whelming majority to remove Motata and Hlophe.

Finally the matter went to President Cyril Ramaphosa who ratified the National Assembly decision and gave both judges the boot.

Just after this matter was finally put to bed, another judge got into trouble, this time for sleeping on the job.

Gauteng Judge President Dunstan Mlambo told the Judicial Services Tribunal that Pretoria High Court Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela was an embarrassment to the judiciary as he was not diligent in his duties.

Since 2013, 52 cases have been lying on his desk, collecting dust. This is a serious dereliction of duty.

But in an about-turn, the Judge President himself has been accused of dubious conduct for accepting a gift from the University Johannesburg’s vice chancellor Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi in an on-going case involving one of its former employees.

If you add these to the 50 legal practitioners who have either been suspended or struck off the role since 2023, then we must fear for our judiciary.

It seems that the last bastion of our democracy has also been infected with the corruption pandemic sweeping the country. If measures are not taken quickly to stop its spread, our judiciary will succumb to corruption and our democracy will be doomed.