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| John Hlophe, seen here in 2009, was accused of trying to influence judges at the country's top court (Getty Images) |
South Africa's parliament has impeached one of the country's top judges, John Hlophe, for misconduct. An investigation found that Hlophe tried to influence justices at the country's top court in a case relating to former President Jacob Zuma. He approached two justices in 2008 to see if they would support Zuma in a decision relating to a corruption case. Hlophe always denied the accusation. The long delay between the alleged offence and his impeachment was a result of lengthy appeals and investigations.
The removal of a judge is unprecedented since the start of the country's democratic era in 1994. A second judge, Nkola Motata, was also impeached for disorderly conduct and racial outbursts relating to a 2007 drunk-driving accident. President Cyril Ramaphosa will now have to sign-off the decision and set a date for their formal removal. The judges will then lose all benefits, including a lifetime monthly salary worth over 1m rand ($53,000; £42,000), a car allowance, and comprehensive medical care.
Mr Hlophe was the first to be impeached on Wednesday evening with MPs voting by the required two-thirds majority. The decision was backed by the governing African National Congress (ANC) as well as the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) plus other minor parties. A last-ditch attempt by Hlophe to halt his possible removal was thrown out by a court just hours earlier.
The Economic Freedom Fighters voted against the impeachments, with MP Busisiwe Mkhwebane arguing that the judges were remorseful and should be allowed to live the rest of their lives in peace. Lawyer and co-ordinator of advocacy group Judges Matter, Alison Tilley, told the BBC that the removals were an important moment in the country's history.
