ActionSA welcomes suspension of Judge Hlophe

14 December 2022

ActionSA welcomes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s immediate suspension of Western Cape High Court Judge President, John Hlophe.

The fact that the corruption and cronyism, which lies at the heart of the ANC’s political leadership, have intruded into our judiciary is a shocking indictment on the state of South Africa.  

It is tragic that Hlophe’s conduct has undermined and tarnished the perception of our judiciary as an independent, competent, and dignified institution which protects rights and upholds the rule of law.

ActionSA notes that the Deputy Judge President of the Western Cape Division of the High Court, Judge Goliath, will be Acting Judge President for the duration of Hlophe’s suspension, and trusts that Judge Goliath’s leadership will restore the public’s faith in the judiciary in the Western Cape.

While we welcome this development, we are equally concerned that President Ramaphosa seems to be hiding out and presiding from the shadows. For an announcement this important, one would expect that he addresses the nation as would be the case in any decent democratic dispensation.

Issued by Michelle Wasserman, Western Cape Provincial Chairperson, ActionSA, 14 December 2022