The Western Cape High Court has dismissed an urgent application for an interim interdict that Judge President John Hlophe had brought.
The judgment paves the way for the National Assembly to go ahead with the vote on the impeachment of Hlophe and retired Judge Nkola Motata through the required two-thirds majority of the members.
Hlophe had applied for an interim interdict against the impeachment voting process.
This was pending the outcome of the review application he has since submitted at the Constitutional Court.
Judge Sulet Potterill struck the matter off the roll and Hlophe has to pay the legal costs.
Potterill described Hlophe’s delay to lodge the application in time as a self-created problem.
“I accordingly find that the timeline in the court application and the reasons set out does not justify this urgent application. It was manifestly unreasonable and it was self created. However, the court must still determine whether JP Hlophe will obtain substantial recourse … in the hearing in due course,” adds Potterill.
The video below reports more on Hlophe’s suspension:
