Judge Mandela Makaula has expressed regret for remarks he made regarding Mthatha attorneys in a recent interview with the Judicial Service Commission.
Makaula issued an apology on Thursday via the Office of the Chief Justice.
“Following my recent Judicial Service Commission interview, during which I made unfortunate and disparaging remarks about legal practitioners in Mthatha, several law bodies publicly condemned my statements,” Makaula said.
“I hereby withdraw the remarks I made. I also publicly, unconditionally and sincerely apologise for those remarks, which were uttered unfairly without providing justification or evidence.
“I particularly regret painting all Mthatha practitioners with the same brush and making an unfair comparison by suggesting that the practitioners in Gqeberha conduct themselves better than those in Mthatha.”
According to Makaula, he has promised to handle any future issues internally rather than publicly.
“This will be done to maintain mutual respect between judges and legal practitioners and to be part of the solution in respect of any underlying challenges facing the division,” he said.
Attorneys’ WhatsApp groups
Makaula also said law bodies hoped this would be the last incident of its kind, and that he would work to foster ongoing dialogue between the judiciary, the legal profession, and the public they serve.
It is anticipated that consultations with the relevant bench’s leadership will start shortly and end by the 2026 first court term.
“The acting judge president and the acting deputy judge president of the Eastern Cape division were duly consulted and apprised of these developments before this statement was publicly released,” Makaula added.
During the interview, Makaula said he does not condone WhatsApp groups with attorneys or legal practitioners.
“Why should I receive a report stating that George so-and-so did this in court just a few minutes ago? Getting that from a practitioner.
“That is not the correct way of leading. As a judicial officer, why are you on WhatsApp groups with attorneys?” he asked.
