South Africa’s former judge John Hlophe has agreed to become the parliamentary leader of Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, four months after he was impeached.
MK party spokesman Nhlamulo Ndhlela confirmed this development on Friday.
Although Hlophe was not on the party’s list of candidates for the May elections, where it won 14.58% of votes, this appointment means one of the 58 members elected to the National Assembly will have to give up a seat to make space for him.
Last Friday, the MK party boycotted the first parliamentary session, attempting to prevent the re-election of President Cyril Ramaphosa. None of its members have been sworn in yet, but Ndhlela indicated that they are likely to take the oath next Tuesday.
Hlophe’s impeachment occurred in February, with the National Assembly voting 305 to 27 for his removal from the bench. This decision followed nearly three years after the Judicial Service Commission confirmed the Judicial Conduct Tribunal’s findings of gross misconduct. The tribunal concluded that Hlophe attempted to influence two constitutional court justices regarding Zuma’s arms deal corruption case in 2008, appearing to be on a politically motivated “mission.”
Hlophe has consistently denied any wrongdoing and repeatedly delayed the misconduct inquiry through legal challenges, all of which were unsuccessful. His impeachment was finalised just hours after the Western Cape high court dismissed his last-minute attempt to delay the vote.
Hlophe, along with Justice Nkola Motata, is among the first judges to be impeached in post-apartheid South Africa.