MK Party wants lavish judges exposed — Calls for urgent lifestyle audits

Jacob Zuma

Cape Town – The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party is calling for mandatory lifestyle audits and asset declarations for all judges in South Africa, citing concerns about judges living lavishly despite earning state salaries.

Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela argued in a statement on Wednesday that transparency would reinforce judicial independence and fairness.

“The MK party calls for the immediate implementation of lifestyle audits and the declaration of assets for all members of the judiciary, from the highest echelons of the Constitutional Court to the lower benches.

“These audits must be swiftly conducted with independence, thoroughness and regularity,” said Ndlela.

He emphasised that judges, like parliamentarians, must be held accountable and that public trust in the judiciary relies on openness.

“Judges are not infallible, but human and prone like all of us to error, 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,” Ndhlela said.

He added: “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 on public trust. That trust must be earned through openness, not opacity.”

The MK party, critical of the judiciary since its formation in 2023, also aims to reform the courts and the constitution if it gains power, stressing that judicial immunity should not shield judges from scrutiny.

Article written by