DA bid to block John Hlophe from JSC a 'stand for democracy', says ...

DA federal chairperson Helen Zille said on Thursday that the party’s urgent high court challenge to parliament’s decision to send impeached judge and MK party leader John Hlophe to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) was a “stand for the values of our constitutional democracy”.

The DA and two other organisations were scheduled to present arguments in the Western Cape High Court in a bid to interdict Hlophe’s designation to the JSC — the body that previously found him guilty of misconduct.

Hlophe became the first judge to be impeached in a democratic SA after the National Assembly overwhelmingly voted for his removal.

DA supporters dressed in blue held placards outside the court entrance, one of them reading: “The judges of judges must be fit and proper.”

Zille said the party acknowledged the right of political parties to nominate representatives to the JSC. “However, the appointment of an individual with a tarnished record to this critical role is a blatant disregard for the standards of integrity and propriety that our judicial system demands. It also exacerbates the public’s distrust in political processes.

“The core issue today is whether someone with a history of misconduct should be allowed to participate in the selection of judges, a role that demands unimpeachable standards. Our challenge is not just a legal battle; it is a stand for the values of our constitutional democracy, ensuring that those who hold power within our judiciary are beyond reproach,” said Zille.

However, the MK party on Thursday described the case as a “frivolous challenge” by “right wing and racist organisations”. 

“The clear intention of these organisations is to flood the courts and to waste the resources of the MK party in an attempt to shift our focus from the task of liberating Africans, the poor and marginalised,” the party said in a statement.

“There can be no legal basis for the court to reverse a decision democratically taken by the elected representatives of the people of SA. The time has come for the courts to put a stop to this kind of political harassment of the MK party and its leaders, while abusing the machinery of the justice system.”

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