Judges Matter hopes inquiry into corruption claims clears the judiciary
On Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the appointment of a fact-finding body after KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Police Commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, laid bare the rot allegedly infiltrating the police service.
The Constitutional Court. Picture: Ashraf Hendricks/GroundUp
JOHANNESBURG - Judicial watchdog, Judges Matter, has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s establishment of a commission of inquiry to investigate allegations of corruption within the criminal justice system.
The president on Sunday announced the appointment of a fact-finding body after KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Police Commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, laid bare the rot allegedly infiltrating the police service.
Mkhwanazi claimed that the judiciary in Gauteng also had a hand in the alleged corruption.
However, KZN’s top cop has not filed a complaint with the Judicial Service Commission or the Magistrates Commission to probe the claims, prompting Chief Justice Mandisa Maya to call for the allegations to be backed by evidence.
Judges Matter said that, in the absence of this, the commission of inquiry will be able to fully explore the allegations.
"Considering the relatively small size of the judiciary and possibly narrow scope of the investigation, we hope that the commission will prioritise the allegations against the judiciary and deal with them in the first interim report, due in the next three months.
“This will go a long way in removing the cloud of suspicion that has no doubt been created by Mkhwanazi’s statement and will either allow those implicated to be dealt with, or the allegations be dismissed for lack of substantiation,” said the research and advocacy officer for Judges Matter, Mbekezeli Benjamin.