Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
7 October 2024 | 11:00 CAT
2 min read

The High Court has rejected the MK Party’s attempt to halt the upcoming sitting of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). The party sought to suspend JSC activities while reviewing the participation of impeached Judge John Hlophe. Following a request from the DA, the Western Cape High Court had previously issued an interdict preventing Hlophe from participating in JSC proceedings.

The JSC interviews, which will feature 55 candidates competing for 27 vacant positions on the Bench, are set to proceed as planned starting Monday.

In an interview with Radio Islam, DA spokesperson Karabo Khakhau emphasised the significance of the ruling, stating it enhances public trust in the judicial service. “South Africans will know the proceedings will not be tainted by a delinquent person who has been impeached, a person who doesn’t have the moral compass nor the integrity necessary to be sitting in the JSC, responsible for vetting other judges who will be filling vacancies across all courts in South Africa,” she said.

The Gauteng High Court dismissed the MK Party’s last-minute attempt to block the interviews, stating that the JSC acted rationally in its refusal to postpone them. The MK Party had argued that their constitutional rights were at risk, but Judge Stuart Wilson found that any limitations stemmed from the court’s previous order, not the JSC’s actions.

Khakau pointed out that the DA’s suggestion to call an emergency parliament meeting was refused.

“The fight here is not really about the MK party’s representation at the JSC. The fight here is to protect a man who shouldn’t even protected to begin with. It is about Hlophe, his arrogance and his political ‘God-ship’ within the MK party, which is something the party owes him. It is about politics and has nothing to do with South Africans,” she said.

Highlighting the DA’s efforts on issues of accountability and other wrongs in the system, Khakau noted that the DA encountered a similar issue within the previous administration regarding the former Public Protector.

“In the same spirit, we are fighting the Hlophe matter. Particularly because part of the vacancies that are going to be filled is the vacancy of the court where he is being impeached from – the Judge President of the Western Cape high court – he still has a matter appealing his impeachment before that court, so there is a clear conflict of interest there which is a problem,” she said.

Hlophe is currently barred from participating in JSC proceedings due to a ruling from the Western Cape High Court.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Habib Bobat and Karabo Khakhau is a DA spokesperson, here.