The Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) has called for immediate lifestyle audits and asset declarations for all judges serving in South Africa.
Nhlamulo Ndhlela, MK Party spokesperson, raised concerns about judges living in luxury while earning public salaries, questioning how some may have accumulated wealth and whether any financial relationships or political ties influence their decisions.
Held to same standards as MPs
Ndhlela said judges should be held to the same or higher standards as members of parliament. Members of Parliament are also required to declare their assets.
He said judges hold enormous constitutional power that directly affects the lives and freedoms of citizens.
Ndhlela also argued that those in powerful positions must be open to public scrutiny. Especially in a society where many people cannot afford legal representation. He insisted that transparency must apply across all government structures, including the judiciary.
“Judges are not infallible but human. And …like all of us, they are prone to error and influence, including even bias, whether conscious or otherwise.
“The long-standing myth of judicial immunity from human frailty must be challenged if we are to build a judiciary that is truly beyond reproach.
Judiciary not beyond reproach
Ndhlela said the party wants to ensure that Parliament, as the voice of the people, has full authority over lawmaking. Also that judicial decisions do not override the democratic will.
He said judges are not lawmakers but interpreters of laws passed by Parliament.
Ndhlela highlighted that the public should know about judges’ personal finances. These include home and vehicle loans, their banking partners, tax status, and any international travel they have undertaken in the past five years.
“As long as judges continue to operate in a cocoon of untouchability, the rule of law remains at risk. Accountability must be universal, not selective. Let it be clear: this is not an attack on the judiciary but a defence of democracy and the will of the people.
“Transparency is not a threat; it is a necessity. The integrity of our courts depends not only on the law but also on public trust. That trust must be earned through openness, not opacity,” said Ndhlela.
