POLL | Should Dali Mpofu be disciplined for his conduct during the JSC chief justice interviews?

Criticism against advocate Dali Mpofu continues to mount as South Africans weigh in on whether he should be disciplined for his conduct during the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) interviews last week. 

Mpofu’s professionalism has been called into question after the interviews of two chief justice candidates, Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) judge president Mandisa Maya and Gauteng judge president Dunstan Mlambo.

Mpofu asked Mlambo to clarify rumours of sexual harassment allegations against him, which Mlambo denied and dismissed as a smear campaign against his candidature. 

Mpofu was criticised for asking the question without providing any evidence to support it. 

The questions were eventually disallowed and ruled as expunged from the record by JSC chair and SCA deputy president Xola Petse.

Mpofu was also accused of protecting Maya, who the JSC later recommended for the chief justice position, at the expense of other candidates.

Accusations of sexism were also brought up against Mpofu, who said during the interview he had spent a night with Maya before he later clarified it was during a study session.

Further analyses of Mpofu’s conduct during the interview led to the Pretoria Society of Advocates writing to the General Council of the Bar (GCB) calling for Mpofu’s removal from the JSC.

It said Mlambo should have been alerted before about the allegations of sexual harassment, but instead the interview process had been reduced to “character assassination”. 

The GCB said EFF leader Malema and Mpofu’s questioning created the impression they were using the JSC as a platform for political ends.