The controversy surrounding Cape Judge President John Hlophe has now reached parliament. The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) has suggested that parliament investigate the claims against Hlophe, and an FF+ MP has accused the ANC of trying to cover-up for him.
But Deputy Justice Minister Johnny de Lange warned MPs not to jump to conclusions, pointing out that the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) was still to investigate.
The JSC confirmed it would meet on Friday after receiving a complaint that Hlophe tried to influence constitutional court judges on the decision on search and seizure raids at properties of ANC president Jacob Zuma.
The FF+ gave notice of a substantive motion for the removal of Hlophe as judge of the high court and as Judge President of the Cape Town provincial division of the high court.
As an alternative, it asked that Hlophe be suspended, pending the outcome of an investigation of parliament into the allegations against him, party chief whip Corné Mulder said on Wednesday.
Mulder said the allegations against Hlophe were so serious that they warranted quick and decisive action by parliament.
"Should the speaker find that the FF+'s motion is substantive, it is necessary for parliament to become involved and to launch an investigation," he said. He cited Hlophe's previous run-ins with the JSC and other controversies involving him through the years.
FF+ MP Frederick van Heerden, who serves on the JSC, yesterday raised the Hlophe matter during the Justice Department's budget vote in the national council of provinces.
Van Heerden wanted ANC MPs to come clean on whether they were trying to cover up allegations against Hlophe.
But De Lange said MPs should tread carefully. He said he had his own views on the claims against Hlophe, but would not express them.
He said it appeared that everyone had an interest in the matter and this was shown by a number of letters he had received from lawyers.
He cautioned against MPs expressing their views in public before the JSC had made its findings. Had the JSC not acted swiftly, MPs would have had every right to complain, De Lange said.
But it would be dangerous for MPs to start making inferences, because the matter might end up in parliament if the JSC recommended that Hlophe be impeached, he said.