South African president suspends justices for delaying judgments; judges to face probe

Mr Ramaphosa suspended TA Maumela and NP Mngqibisa-Thusi in accordance with section 177(3) of the country’s constitution.

Kunle Sanni • July 1, 2023

Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa (Credit: ENCA)

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered the suspension of two judges over delay in the handing down of judgments in the country.

Mr Ramaphosa suspended TA Maumela and NP Mngqibisa-Thusi in accordance with section 177(3) of the country’s constitution.

The section empowers the president to suspend a judge based on the advice of the country’s Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

On January 26, 2023, the JSC agreed with the Judicial Conduct Committee’s assessment that there were good reasons to believe that the judges had delayed the delivery of a sizable number of judgements.

“At its meeting of April 20, 2023, the Judicial Service Commission took a decision to advise the president to suspend Justice Maumela and Justice Mngqibisa-Thusi pending a tribunal process envisaged in section 19(1) of the Judicial Service Commission Act, 1994 (Act No.9 of 1994),” the News24 reported quoting a statement by the JSC.

The judges were suspended subject to the condition that they finalise their part-heard matters.

As a result, the JSC requested that Chief Justice Raymond Zondo appoint a tribunal to consider the complaints and asked Mr Ramaphosa to place both judges on suspension pending the outcome of the tribunal process.

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