Tshidi Madia23 February 2024 | 7:00

11 EFF MPs could be in trouble for not attending Judge Hlophe's impeachment vote

On Thursday night, EFF leader Julius Malema tweeted suggesting the 11 members failed to provide proper reasons for missing the session. And while the EFF’s 44 MPs wouldn’t have made a difference in the outcome, Malema is questioning why the 11 MPs simply didn't pitch for proceedings.

11 EFF MPs could be in trouble for not attending Judge Hlophe's impeachment vote

JOHANNESBURG - Eleven Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Members of Parliament (MPs) could be in hot water for failing to attend the impeachment vote of Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe.
 
Of the MPs who voted, 307 voted in favour of Hlophe’s removal and while six EFF members including its president have been suspended, 11 others were absent.

READ: Parliament marks historical first as it impeaches 2 high court judges

On Thursday night, EFF leader Julius Malema tweeted suggesting the 11 failed to provide proper reasons for missing the session. He said there should be a way forward on this matter within the next 24 hours.

  
The EFF, which once referred to Hlophe as a rotten potato has become one of his most ferocious defenders.
 
It’s even taken to lambasting Parliament over its resolution to have him impeached, labelling the move as vindictive, a blatant attack on judicial independence, and a betrayal of the public’s trust in the justice system.
 
And while the EFF’s 44 MPs wouldn’t have made a difference in Wednesday’s outcome, Malema is questioning why 11 MPs simply didn't pitch for proceedings.
 
He tweeted that those who didn’t attend did so without giving a valid reason.
 
Malema said he’s also asked the red berets’ secretary-general Marshall Dlamini to correspond with them with a way forward expected in the coming hours.
 
In 2023, the fighters dismissed 62 public representatives for failing to produce buses for the organisation’s tenth birthday celebration.