EFF welcome the judgment by the Western Cape High Court to suspend Parliament sanction on Cic Julius Malema

28 February 2022

The EFF welcomes the decision by the Western Cape High Court to suspend the emotional and politically motivated sanction by Parliament's Ethics Committee, which sought to force the Commander in Chief Julius Malema to apologise for his line of questioning at the Judicial Service Commission.

The Ethics Committee wrongfully resolved that the Commander in Chief must apologise to one Judge Matojane and the Judicial Service Commission itself, for rightfully questioning the rationale behind a judgement which saw an amount of R500 000 being awarded in a defamation case.

The role of duly elected politicians, who are Members of Parliament in the Judicial Service Commission is sacrosanct. These elected leaders are there to ensure that they represent the aspirations and will of the people, and ensure that our judicial system is not detached from the material realities of our people as well the prevailing political conditions and contradictions.

For the Ethics Committee to sanction the Commander in Chief, for asking relevant questions which are of legal and political consequence in terms of the integrity of our judicial system, is ridiculous. It amounts to an active stifling of our democratic project, because the Commander in Chief sits in the Commission as a Public Representative.

The EFF therefore welcomes this judgement and is confident that the nonsensical sanction by the Ethics Committee will be ultimately thrown in the dustbin of history where it belongs.

Commissioners of the Judicial Service Commission must not be censored simply because certain quarters of the political or legal community do not like the robust and transparent nature of interviews.

We further welcome the decision to suspend the sanction with costs to be paid by Parliament. The courts of this country have a great responsibility of maintaining law and order, and their time should not be wasted on frivolous oppositions by a Parliament that continues to make silly mistakes and pass ridiculous sanctions.

Issued by Sinawo Thambo, National Spokesperson, EFF, 28 February 2022