Justice Chris Jafta indicated to the judicial conduct tribunal on Tuesday he still did not regard himself as a complainant in the saga.
Constitutional Court Justice Chris Jafta has told the Judicial Conduct Tribunal how his friendship with Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe made him reluctant to lay a complaint over Hlophe’s alleged attempt to influence him and fellow Justice Bess Nkabinde back in 2008.
He recounted how Hlophe called him in March 2008 and set up a meeting in which they discussed wide-ranging issues, including professional privilege in relation to the seizure of documents by law enforcement agencies in the Zuma saga. Griffiths pushed the judge to concede that Hlophe’s concerns during their discussion were related to the law and not Zuma.
Jafta told the tribunal he had not thought of laying a complaint against Hlophe, despite him and Nkabinde being told by then Chief Justice Pias Langa and then Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke to lodge it in May 2008 after they became aware of Hlophe’s actions.