“Judicial ‘lifestyle audits’:MK party sets terms for court credibility”

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) has intensified its criticism of judiciary following police claims that Acting Gauteng High Court Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba accepted bribes to sway court decisions.

Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela declared the allegations confirm systemic corruption risks the party has long warned could destabilise democratic institutions.

Central to the controversy is Ledwaba’s attempt to testify before Judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga, a colleague overseeing a judicial commission—a move the MK Party calls a glaring conflict of interest.

The party’s legal challenge to the commission’s legitimacy remains in limbo, with no hearing date set despite months of delays.

Ledwaba’s judicial record faces renewed scrutiny for overseeing the sealing of CR17 campaign finance records tied to President Cyril Ramaphosa, administering the oath to Acting

Police Minister Firoz Cachalia amid appointment disputes, and ignoring a Chief Justice directive to take investigatory leave.

The MK Party warns of imminent constitutional complaints to the Judicial Service Commission if Ledwaba refuses compliance, coupled with demands for his suspension pending an external probe.

Reiterating its stance against internal judicial investigations, the party advocates for compulsory lifestyle audits of all state-funded judges and independent oversight mechanisms to address corruption in Gauteng’s High Court, the nation’s busiest.

“When judges investigate peers, accountability dies in committee rooms,” Ndhlela stated, emphasising the need for structural reforms to enforce uniform rule-of-law standards.