Justice and Security Cluster must account for robbery at the Office of the Chief Justice

20 March 2017

The DA has written a letter to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services, Dr Mathole Motshekga, to urgently call the Ministers of Police, State Security and Justice to appear before the committee on Thursday 23 March 2017, when the Office of the Chief Justice is scheduled to appear before the committee, to discuss the security breach at the Office of the Chief Justice.

We need to know what is being done to establish who was responsible for the break-in and the measures that are being taken to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future and to safeguard our judiciary from any attacks, threats or acts of intimidation.

The break-in at the Office of the Chief Justice on Saturday 18 March 2017, where 15 computers containing confidential information on South Africa’s 250 judges were stolen, is deeply concerning and highly suspicious.

The break-in and theft points to a very serious security breach and setback having occurred in the Office of the Chief Justice and should receive our most urgent attention.

The robbery could be seen as an act of intimidation and threat against the Judiciary, which could lead to a loss of independence, which we must all condemn in the strongest terms.

The DA will keep fighting for a free and independent judiciary that is properly protected in order to ensure that a key institution and one of the main bulwarks of our democracy may continue to defend our constitution without fear of attack, threat or intimidation.

Issued by Glynnis Breytenbach, DA Shadow Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, 20 March 2017