JSC recommends Ledwaba for Gauteng Judge President

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has resolved to recommend Gauteng acting judge president, Aubrey Ledwaba, to be the president of the division.

Ledwaba is the only candidate who was interviewed on Tuesday for the position.

He has been acting in the post after Justice Dunstan Mlambo was appointed Deputy Chief Justice.

Ledwaba, who has served as deputy judge president for 13 years, spent more than two hours being interviewed, with much of the time spent addressing allegations made against him in the Madlanga Commission.

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In October, the commission heard testimony that suspected crime boss Katiso 'KT' Molefe paid R2.5 million for his release on bail, which was awarded by Ledwaba.

"Your candidature- I think this is the elephant in the room. Your candidature is shrouded in this dark cloud, which you don’t deserve."

Just before going into what promised to be intense deliberations, Chief Justice Mandisa Maya asked Ledwaba why the JSC should not wait until he has been cleared by the Madlanga Commission.

"There have been other clouds as I have mentioned and to say that all these allegations need to be cleared first. I don’t think that is in the interest of justice.

Ledwaba, who is a step closer to heading up the country’s busiest division, has denied that the allegations are serious, dismissing them as hearsay.

The JSC will recommend his appointment to head up the Gauteng Division of the High Court to President Cyril Ramaphosa.