MK Party disappointed it failed in court bid to halt JSC sitting

JOHANNESBURG - The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party said it was disappointed that it was not successful in delaying Monday's sitting of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). 

On Saturday, the Johannesburg High Court dismissed the MK Party's urgent application to interdict the upcoming JSC meeting. 

The party wanted the sitting to be postponed while it appealed the Western Cape High Court's decision to prevent its parliamentary leader, John Hlophe, from participating in the JSC.

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The sitting, which will run from 7 to 16 October, will see over 50 candidate judges interviewed for a number of vacancies in the country's courts.

MK Party spokesperson, Nhlanhlo Ndhlela, said that while the party disagreed with Judge James Wilson's ruling, it commended him for conducting a fair hearing. 

"As the MK Party, we note the judgment handed down by Judge Wilson off the back of our request to interdict the sitting of the JSC come Monday, the 7th. We still believe that Dr Hlophe's rights were infringed upon, including the MK Party's rights."

Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said that the dismissal of the MK Party’s attempt to delay the hiring of judges was a win for judicial independence. 

The DA’s national spokesperson, Karabo Khakhau: "This ruling is another critical win for South Africa’s judiciary, reinforcing the principle that judicial integrity must be upheld at all times. The DA remains resolute in defending the independence of the judiciary and we maintain that allowing individuals like John Hlophe, who have been impeached, to influence the selection of future judges would pose a great threat to the public’s trust in our legal system and the rule of law."