uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party leader in Parliament Dr John Hlophe has withdrawn from the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
“The MK Party has formally written to the Speaker of the National Assembly to withdraw the nomination of our party leader in Parliament, Dr John HIophe as one of the designated members of the National Assembly to serve in the Judicial Service Commission (JSC),” the party said.
“This withdrawal takes effect immediately,” it said.
“The MK Party will not allow the name of Dr John Hlophe to be associated with or used to legitimise a patently misleading, fraudulent, and improperly constituted Judicial Service Commission.”
This is after an intense battle with the JSC not going ahead with the interviews that were scheduled to take place on Monday.
The party said it was it is “naturally disappointed” by a Gauteng South High Court ruling, delivered on Saturday, which gave the JSC the green light to proceed without the interdicted Hlophe
In a statement, MKP maintained that the composition of the JSC, without Hlophe's participation as a representative from the leading opposition party was in violation of Section 178(1)(h) of the Constitution.
“This JSC has failed to meet the prescribed minimum threshold of three members from the opposition parties,” it said.
“We further believe that the will of the overwhelming number of people of South Africa who voted for participation of Dr Hlophe in all parliament duties assigned to him has been severely and constitutionally undermined.”
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
IOL Politics