ISINQUMO sokuchithwa kwamajaji amabili akuleli iJaji uJohn Hlophe, ebeliwumengameli wamaJaji eWestern Cape neselithathe umhlalaphansi iJaji uNkola Motata, sishiye imibono ehlukene.
Bekuqala ngoHlophe noMotata ukuthi kuketulwe noma kuchithwe amajaji ngaphansi kombuso wentando yeningi. Bekulindelekile ukuthi kube wudaba oludala umsindo ezinhlakeni ezehlukene.
Kuvamile ukuthi kube nezikhalo zokuthi umkhakha wezomthetho kuleli unamabatha futhi lokhu kudala ukuthi ungethenjwa kahle. Kuhlala kukhalwa ngokuthi amajaji abuye engathembeki ekutheni ngabe asebenza ngobuqotho na.
Inhloko yamaJaji kuleli, iJaji Raymond Zondo, selizame kaningi ukuvikela amajaji, lithi uma kukhona onobufakazi akabuhambise kuphenywe. UZondo usuke evika izagila amajaji esolwa ngokungaziphathi kahle nangenkohlakalo.
IPhalamende lisanda kuvota ligunyaza ukuchithwa kwamajaji uHlophe noMotata alahlwe amacala ehlukene. UHlophe ulahlwe yicala lokuzama ukunxenxa amajaji ukuthi enzelele owayengumengameli uMnuz Jacob Zuma.
UHlophe kuthiwa waphula umthetho wokuziphatha mhla ecubuzela uZuma amagabade emajajini. Kukhalwa ngokuthi wathunaza umkhakha wamajajai nezobulungiswa kuleli.
UHlophe uphike kwaze kwaba sekugcineni, ethi amacala abekwa wona awekho kodwa kunetulo elihambisana nepolitiki. Kuthathe iminyaka cishe ewu-15 ukuthi kuphothulwe udaba lwakhe. Kungenzeka lufinyelele enkantolo lolu daba ngoba uHlophe akeneme ngesinqumo.
UMotata yena walahlwa yicala emuva kokuthi eshayele ebukhile, washayisa udonga lwesakhiwo thizeni nokuwudaba owlaba wundabamlonyeni.
Ngaphandle kukaHlophe noMotata, kukhona namanye amajaji ashushiswayo wona angakalahlwa amacala. Phakathi kwayo kukhona iJaji uNomonde Mngqibisa-Thusi neJaji uTshifhiwa Maumela.
Nawo la majaji asolwa ngokungaziphathi kahle emsebenzini wawo nokwaphoqa ukuthi kufakwe isikhalo amiswe bese eyophenywa aphendule phambi kwezithangami ezifanele.
Kuyini ukuchithwa kwamajaji alahlwe amacala?
Isizindalwazi seJudges Matters sichaza kabanzi ngokuketulwa kwejaji liphucwe amandla. Bakhuluma ngesigatshana 77 soMthethosisekelo wezwe ogunyaza ukuketulwa noma ukuchithwa kwejaji okuhlukene izigaba ezintathu.
“Isigaba sikhuluma ngokususwa kwejaji uma likhombisa ukwehlulwa wumsebenzi noma lilahlwe amacala kumbe ukungaziphathi kahle. Kufanele udaba lubekwe ePhalamende, bese kuyavotwa, iningi uma livumelana bese kuphuma isinqumo,’’ kusho isizindalwazi.
Ngaphambi kwalokho, udaba lusuke luqale kwiJudicial Service Commission ibambisene neJudicial Conduct Tribunal ephenyayo. Kuvela ukuthi uma udaba lufika ePhalamende lubhekwa nawumnyango wezomthetho bese wululeka usomlomo.
Usomlomo uba esexhumana nehhovisi lenhloko yamajaji nezinye izinhlaka ezithintekayo. Uma kuqedwa ukuvota ePhalamende, uSomlomo ubhalela umengameli emazisa ngomphumela nesinqumo okufanele asithathe.
Uma sekuphothuliwe konke, ijaji liyephucwa lelo gama bese libizwa njengabantu abajwayelekile. Akugcini lapho kodwa lephucwa nemihlomulo ehambisana nomholo nakho konke okunye.
Amajaji ahola cishe imali efinyelela kuR1 million ngonyaka nemihlomulo ehambisana nezimoto nokunye. Konke lokhu kuyahlwithwa uma ijaji lichithwa.
Ukuchithwa kwamajaji uHlophe noMotata, kususe umsindo omkhulu ikakhulukazi emaqenjini ezepolitiki akhala ngokuthi ngamajaji amnyama achithiwe. Amaqembu akhala ngokuthi lokhu kubuyisela emuva umsebenzi omkhulu wezokuphuculwa kwezomthetho kuleli.
Inhlangano ebusayo i-ANC yiyona eyiningi ePhalamende nokuchaza ukuthi amalungu ayo avota ngobuningi bawo echitha amajaji amabili. UNobhala-Jikelele we-ANC, uMnuz Fikile Mbalula, waphawula ngalolu daba lwesikhalo ngamajaji amnyama.
“Siyahambisana impela nokuthi abantu abamnyama bangene ezikhundleni eziqavile njengawo amajaji kodwa uma umuntu etholwe enecala akukho esingakwenza. Kuphoqe isimo ukuthi amajaji achithwe noma kubuhlungu kunjalo kodwa iqiniso limile,’’ kusho uMbalula.
I-EFF ikugxekile kakhulu ukuchithwa kukaHlophe, yathi iyazwelana naye kakhulu futhi ngeke alale engadlile ikhona. UMalema uke wabonakala evakashele uHlophe ekhombisa ukumeseka, waxoxa naye kabanzi ngalolu daba.
Ngaphandle kodaba lwamajaji, kade kusanda kuphothulwa uhlelo lokuchithwa kobengumvikeli womphakathi, u-Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane naye owakhishwa yiPhalamende. I-EFF nalapho ikugxeke kakhulu ukuchithwa kwakhe njengomuntu omnyama emkhakheni wezomthetho aphinde abe ngowesifazane.
Phambilini, abamnyama nabesifazane bebengavamile ukuba sezikhundleni eziphezulu zomthetho kuleli nokuyinto okube nesidingo sokuthi ilungiswe. Bekuvele kuzowususa umsindo ukuketulwa kwamajaji amnyama ezikhundleni.
