Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has rejected accusations of judicial capture, adding that nobody has presented evidence to support this claim. Zondo was addressing a three-day Judges’ Conference at Sun City in the North West. The conference is held under the theme: “Towards a single, effective and fully independent Judiciary”.
The Head of South Africa’s judiciary, Zondo says he’s been calling for evidence of so-called judicial capture for four years now and nothing has emerged beyond the accusations.
“For four years, I called for everybody who had evidence that the judiciary in South Africa is captured and nobody came with any evidence up to now, nobody has come with evidence,” says Zondo.
Zondo added that the accusation emanates from those who want the country’s judiciary to be viewed with a lens of suspicion.
“The accusation is made by those who wish to ensure that the Judiciary of South Africa is not trusted by the public. That it is looked at with suspicion because it suits their purposes that the judiciary should be viewed with suspicion.”
The judiciary recently faced allegations through a report purported to be penned by a former intelligence head. The State Security Agency, however, denied that the so-called report was authored by one of its ex-officials.
The report made serious allegations against judicial officers. One of the victims of those allegations is Gauteng High Court Judge President Dunstan Mlambo who shared his last words on the matter.
“The author of the report applied for a job at Legal Aid South Africa many years ago, more than 10 years ago when I was chairperson of Legal Aid South Africa. He didn’t get the job, I was not involved in that process in whatever manner but from that day onwards to date he continues to accuse me. He has even created a website that hurls insults at me and any other judge who finds against him,”
The Judges’ Conference is expected to conclude on Thursday.
© SABC News