MK party demands Judge Makamu step aside amid corruption tribunal probe
Businessman claims Judge Samuel Makamu requested money to grant leave to appeal an eviction order.
The MK party has requested that Gauteng High Court Judge Mudunwazi Samuel Makamu recuse himself from any future judicial duties while a Judicial Conduct Tribunal examines allegations of corruption, serious misconduct, and interference with an appeal stemming from his own judgment. These demands followed a formal complaint lodged by businessman and attorney Bouwe Wiersma on August 2025.
The Judicial Conduct Committee (JCC) transferred the case to the formal inquiry stage after concluding that the allegations, if proven, could constitute serious misconduct.
Wiersma's complaint alleged that Makamu asked for money in exchange for granting an appeal to overturn an eviction order against him, which he received in July 2025. He further claims that after Makamu issued the eviction order, he received a phone call from someone identifying himself as the judge. In this call, the caller reportedly referred to the judgment as unjust, encouraged an appeal, and offered assistance in ensuring a favorable outcome.
According to the complaint, Makamu allegedly recommended legal representatives after granting the eviction order and confirmed that an appeal application had been scheduled. Wiersma also claims he made a financial contribution to what he believed was a linked Capitec account to the judge's family, with references suggesting a possible connection to family savings and the appeal. However, the appeal was ultimately dismissed.
Makamu has refuted all allegations, stating he never communicated with Wiersma before or after the eviction order and never solicited any payment. The JCC acknowledged inconsistencies in the complaint but deemed it serious enough to warrant a formal investigation, referring the case to the Tribunal. The MK party's spokesman, Sifiso Mahlangu, emphasized that the allegations cast doubt on the integrity of the judiciary, asserting that no judge should continue their duties while under formal investigation for alleged corruption and interference with an appeal.
He called for the Tribunal to be conducted independently, transparently, and without bias, emphasizing that the investigation provides Judge Makamu with the opportunity to clear his name, but any proven misconduct must result in appropriate consequences.
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