Zondo warned of the risk posed to judiciary by Hlophe's 'issues' with ConCourt - Mogoeng

JOHANNESBURG - Former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng said outgoing Chief Justice Raymond Zondo previously warned of the risk posed to the judiciary by now impeached Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe’s "issues" with the Constitutional Court.

Mogoeng delivered a tribute to Zondo ahead of his upcoming retirement, at a dinner held in his honour in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg, on Tuesday night.

During the address, he spoke to how Zondo’s "heart was always in the right place".

In the apparent reference to what’s now been found to have been an improper attempt on the part of former Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe to influence two Constitutional Court justices in a case involving former President Jacob Zuma, Mogoeng on Tuesday night recalled how Zondo had warned it was going to "hurt the judiciary".

He further recalled a meeting at the Labour Court, which Chief Justice Raymond Zondo was heading up at the time, where they reflected on "some kind of agreement or mediating".

Mogoeng said he later approached the then Chief Justice and Deputy Chief Justice with a view to address the issue without bringing the judiciary into disrepute.

He said, even though, they "didn’t succeed", efforts were made to reach out to Hlophe but to no avail.