MK party demands answers: Why are some judges living lavish lifestyles?

The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party is demanding mandatory lifestyle audits for all judges in South Africa.

The party on Wednesday questioned how some judges are able to live “lavish lives” with huge houses and expensive cars. They also questioned how some judges are able to travel overseas while dependent on state salaries.

Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said transparency from judges will reinforce their decisions as being independent, fair and free from political or financial influence.

“The MK party calls for the immediate implementation of lifestyle audits and the declaration of assets for all members of the judiciary, from the highest echelons of the Constitutional Court to the lower benches.

“These audits must be swiftly conducted with independence, thoroughness and regularity,” he said.

The MK party has been critical of the judiciary since the party was formed in 2023.

‘Judges are not infallible’

They have promised to reform the courts and change the constitution if they come into power.

“Judges are not infallible, but human and prone like all of us to error, influence, including even bias, whether conscious or otherwise.

“The long-standing myth of judicial immunity from human frailty must be challenged if we are to build a judiciary that is truly beyond reproach,” Ndhlela said.

Ndhlela added that just as parliamentarians are expected to account to the public and be transparent, judges should also do the same.

“Accountability must be universal, not selective. Let it be clear: this is not an attack on the judiciary, but a defence of democracy and the will of the people.

“Transparency is not a threat; it is a necessity. The integrity of our courts depends not only on the law, but on public trust. That trust must be earned through openness, not opacity,” he said.

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MK leaders at odss with the law

Political analyst Theo Neethling told The Citizen that he is not surprised by the MK party’s views on the judiciary.

“One cannot divorce their stance on the judiciary from the personalities in the MK party.

“First of all, their leader, President Jacob Zuma, faced several legal battles, including corruption charges related to the arms deal. He was also imprisoned in 2021 for charges related to contempt of court because he refused to testify before the Zondo Commission [into State Capture].

“Then there is the case of former judge president John Hlophe, he was the first judge in democratic South Africa to be impeached, then he swiftly moved into the leadership of the MK party,” he said.

The MK party had tried to field Hlophe to the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), but this move was challenged by the DA.

“Now, the case is that of Dali Mpofu, who faces disciplinary hearings in the Legal Practice Council (LPC). He faces several alleged charges of misconduct.

“In all these cases, the personalities are playing a role within the MK party and having issues with the judiciary,” he said.

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