John Hlophe quits captured JSC

UMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party member of Parliament John Hlophe has resigned from the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

Hlophe's decision comes as the Western Cape High Court barred him from partaking in JSC activities following a legal challenge by the Democratic Alliance (DA). To add salt to the wound, the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg dismissed the MK Party's urgent application to have this week's JSC sitting declared unconstitutional and postponed pending the outcome of the Western Cape High Court ruling.

In a statement, MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said the party has written to the Speaker of the National Assembly Thoko Didiza to withdraw the nomination of Hlophe as one of the designated members of the National Assembly to serve in the JSC.

Ndhlela said the MK Party will not allow John Hlophe's name to be associated with or used to legitimise a patently misleading, fraudulent and improperly constituted JSC.

"The MK Party maintains that the composition of the JSC without Hlophe's participation as a representative from the leading opposition party is in violation of the Constitution.

"This JSC has failed to meet the prescribed minimum threshold of three members from the opposition parties," Ndhlela said.