The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) is still investigating whether there are grounds to impeach Cape Judge President John Hlophe, it announced on Wednesday.
This quashed speculation that a decision might be made known on Wednesday.
In a statement issued after over two hours of deliberations behind closed doors at a Cape Town hotel, the JSC said it had considered a complaint against Hlophe by African Christian Democratic Party MP Steve Swart.
The complaint followed allegations that Hlophe received a R10 000 monthly retainer for work he did for asset management group Oasis while he was judge president.
”The complaint concerning payments made by an entity in the Oasis Group is still under investigation, as further information is required in order to finalise the complaint,” the statement read.
”The JSC will meet to consider the matter further as soon as this information becomes available.”
The JSC has already received a report on the matter from a specially appointed sub-committee.
The JSC also said on Wednesday it had dismissed a second complaint by Swart relating to a bursary received by Hlophe’s son from the law firm Smith, Tabata, Buchanan, Boyes.
It said the evidence of the judge president, as confirmed by a senior partner of the firm, showed that Hlophe had had no knowledge of the bursary payments received by his son, who had not been living at home.
At the time, the son was a boarder-master at SACS Primary School in Cape Town.
There was no other evidence to contradict this, the statement read.
Hlophe has denied the Oasis allegation, saying he merely received out-of-pocket expenses as a trustee of the Oasis Crescent Retirement Fund.
He said former minister of justice Dullah Omar, who has since died, gave him permission to serve as trustee.
However, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Brigitte Mabandla has said she can find no record of this permission.
Members of the JSC, who include Chief Justice Pius Langa and other senior judges and members of the legal profession, declined to talk about the issue after the meeting.
JSC spokesperson Milton Seligson said when asked if he could be contacted later for comment: ”I’m under a lot or pressure. The statement will speak for itself.” — Sapa