South African Parliament Impeaches Top Judges over misconduct

South Africa’s parliament has impeached one of the country’s top judges, John Hlophe, and a second judge, Nkola Motata, for alleged misconduct. The decision, backed by a two-thirds majority, marks an unprecedented event since the inception of the country’s democratic era in 1994.

The impeachment follows an investigation by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), which found that Judge John Hlophe, the leading judge in Western Cape Province, attempted to influence justices at the Constitutional Court in 2008.

The influence was allegedly related to a case involving former President Jacob Zuma’s arms-deal corruption charges. Hlophe approached two justices, seeking support for Zuma.

Hlophe consistently denied the accusations, and the lengthy delay in his impeachment was attributed to appeals and investigations. A last-ditch effort by Hlophe to halt the proceedings was dismissed by the court just hours before the impeachment.

A second judge, Nkola Motata, faced impeachment for disorderly conduct and racial outbursts stemming from a 2007 drunk-driving incident. Motata, who has since retired, also denied the accusations.

President Cyril Ramaphosa must now sign off on the decision and set a date for their formal removal. The judges will lose all benefits, including a lifetime monthly salary exceeding 1 million rand ($53,000), a car allowance, and comprehensive medical care.

The impeachment of Hlophe was swiftly followed by that of Motata, with MPs from the governing African National Congress (ANC), the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), and other minor parties voting in favor.

The Economic Freedom Fighters, an opposition party, voted against the impeachments, arguing for leniency, stating that the judges were remorseful and should be allowed to live the rest of their lives in peace.