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WC High Court declares Hlophe’s appointment to JSC unconstitutional

Corruption Watch (CW) welcomes the judgment handed down yesterday, 2 June 2025, by the Western Cape High Court on the unconstitutionality of the designation of its impeached former judge president Dr Mandlakayise John Hlophe to the Judicial Services Commission (JSC). The matter relates to the National Assembly’s (NA) decision on 9 July 2024 to designate Read more >

Western Cape High Court sets aside Hlophe JSC appointment

Impeached former judge president of the Western Cape High Court and member of Parliament for the Mkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), Dr John Hlophe, will not be part of the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) after the same court ruled on 2 June 2025 that Parliament’s decision to designate him to the body was unconstitutional. Three related Read more >

Addressing judicial corruption in South Africa

“The judiciary is the temple of justice, and in most cases, it is the last hope of the common man.” Prof John-Mark Iyi, director of the African Centre for Transnational Criminal Justice (ACTCJ) at the University of the Western Cape, used these words to introduce a recent webinar discussing the complex task of combating corruption Read more >

Hlophe not allowed in judges’ interviews, says WC High Court

Image: Polity The parliamentary Judicial Services Commission (JSC) interviews for magistrates and judges, an important annual event in the judiciary’s calendar for the month of October, will take place without impeached judge and MK Party parliamentary leader Dr John Hlophe. This after the Western Cape High Court on Friday granted applicants in the matter calling Read more >

The JSC must play its strategic ‘Human Resources’ function

The function of the Judicial Service Commission is to select fit and proper persons for appointment as judges and to investigate complaints about judicial officers. It also advises government on any matters relating to the judiciary or to the administration of justice. The commission has been in the news recently owing to Parliament’s nomination of Read more >

Ramaphosa must ensure political accountability to win corruption fight

By Moepeng Valencia Talane South Africa has a serious corruption problem, and everyone including the morally compromised ANC agrees, but what we’re not agreeing on is the extent to which the absence of a culture of political accountability will keep corruption in place without tangible solutions. That is, if nothing is done by those with Read more >

Impeachment of the president – what’s that all about?

By Kwazi Dlamini President Cyril Ramaphosa faces arguably the toughest political battle of his career to date, surrounded as he is by the fallout of the Phala Phala scandal. Opposition political parties and his adversaries within the African National Congress (ANC) are calling for him to resign – indeed, last Friday Ramaphosa was rumoured to Read more >

Phala Phala noise far from over, as SA awaits Concourt decision

As South Africa waits to hear from the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) if it will accept President Cyril Ramaphosa’s judicial review application of the Section 89 panel report on Phala Phala – for which papers were filed on Monday – his political backers and opponents alike continue to exchange public statements to support their conflicting causes. Read more >