With corruption seeping into government institutions, law enforcement agencies and the courts, Judge President of the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, Dunstan Mlambo said close collaboration in rooting it out was more crucial than ever.
Speaking at the Africa Uniting Against Crime(APA) anti-corruption training session at the National Prosecuting Authority’s headquarters in Weavind Park, Judge Mlambo said corruption had also made its way into courts.
“We have seen trends in terms of people falsifying court orders as if they are ours (judges). There have been a number of people who present themselves as lawyers or advocates when they are not admitted and have no such right of appearance in our courts.
“We have a matter where a magistrate would come in the morning look at the cases and simply strike them off the roll just so she can be out of the courts by 11am. That in itself is corruption and we intend on dealing with the matter accordingly.”
The judge president said work had to be done to avoid having cases sitting for a long time without making it through the system.
“We have syndicates who wait for witnesses to die knowing full well then that the matter is struck off the roll. They hire professional legal counsel that tell them how to avert law enforcement,” he added.
Leanne Govindsamy, of Corruption Watch, proposed the APA focus on how its knowledge, particularly on financial crime, could assist with investigations. “Civil society wants to assist with the fight against corruption.”
Pretoria News