Zondo's lavish farewell bash under spotlight

The recent farewell party for the former Chief Justice, Raymond Zondo, has come under heavy criticism following reports that the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) did not follow proper procurement processes.

On Tuesday, August 20, Chief Justice Zondo, who hung up his robes after 27 years, was honoured with a fancy dinner at the Marriott Hotel in Melrose Arch, which a few days later was followed by a special Constitutional Court sitting.

Many of the speakers, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, praised Zondo for his ethical and exemplary leadership over the past two decades.

On Sunday, "The Sunday Independent) reported that the OCJ had denied a request to disclose the procurement and financial details of the two-day farewell party for Chief Justice Zondo.

According to the Sunday publication, there have been concerns about the potential corruption, abuse of power, and mismanagement of funds by the head of the OCJ, who allegedly approved the use of funds to organise Chief Justice Zondo's recent farewell party.

A source speaking to The Sunday Independent alleged that procurement policies were deliberately undermined, as the farewell party for Zondo exceeded the usual amount allocated for such events.

Reacting to these allegations, the EFF in a statement on Sunday called on all relevant oversight bodies to scrutinise the procurement processes of the OCJ rigorously, adding that implicated officials must be held accountable, while stringent measures must be put in place to prevent such misconduct in the future.

"The EFF vehemently condemns the gross abuse of public funds by the Office of the Justice (OCJ) following recent budget cuts. The widespread allegations of improper conduct and deliberate undermining of procurement policies cannot be tolerated in any sphere of government.

"The integrity of our judiciary is paramount, and allowing such breaches to go unchecked undermines public trust in our legal institutions," the party said.

It said it was further concerned by reports that the secretary-general and head of the OCJ, Memme Sejosengwe, appointed her own bodyguards without following proper processes.

"Further exacerbating this scandal, a report by ‘The Sunday Independent' in August disclosed that the secretary-general and head of OCJ appointed herself bodyguards at the state's expense without following following proper police assessment procedures. This revelation not only highlights a clear abuse of power, but also underscores the need for rigorous audits to prevent such irregularities from occurring," the party said.

It was reported that the funds of the farewell dinner far exceeded those for other retiring justices, and procurement guidelines were overlooked.

"The Sunday Independent" said it had approached the office to provide it with details of all procured services for the event, including the cost of the farewell party, the gala dinner, the venue, transportation, and accommodation. However, the OCJ failed to provide the requested information and instead said that it was not uncommon for the state to honour its high-profile citizens who dedicated their lives in service to the nation.

"The OCJ is firm of the view that the two events held in honour of Chief Justice Zondo were proper, befitting, and appropriate to honour and acknowledge the chief justice for the 27 years of dedication to the nation and the judiciary, and to bid him farewell.

"Therefore, the expenditure incurred in relation to these events are equally proper and in line with convention, practice, and policy for such occasions and the stature of the office of a chief justice."