Hlophe, Motata officially removed from the Bench - Presidency

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday confirmed that he has fired disgraced former judges John Hlophe and Nkola Motata.

The removal of Hlophe, and Motata, who was found guilty of drunk driving, became a fait accompli on 21 February after two-thirds of MPs in the National Assembly voted in support of a Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services report that endorsed the damning gross misconduct findings made against them.

The Constitution does not leave the president with any discretion on whether to remove a judge after a two-thirds majority voted in favour of removal, and the Presidency confirmed on Wednesday that Ramaphosa had removed both judges.