My integrity has never been in question, says Judge Makhubele

JOHANNESBURG - Pretoria High Court Judge Tintswalo Makhubele said her professional integrity has never been questioned before.

On Thursday, Makhubele gave evidence at the Judicial Conduct Tribunal investigating allegations of gross misconduct against her.

She is accused by lobby group Unite Behind of undermining the independence of the judiciary by occupying the position of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) board chair and judge at the same time. 

She is also accused of improperly involving herself in a dispute with the state-capture-implicated Siyaya Group, which had a number of its contracts with PRASA overturned because of dodgy dealings during her time at the parastatal.

Makhubele told the tribunal this was the first time she’d found herself under the spotlight like this.

"In my professional life, I’ve never been investigated or anything. People have always held me in high esteem. My integrity, no one that I know of or that I’ve heard of that prior to this Unite Behind complaint has ever raised anything about my lack of or compromised integrity."