By Zweli Martin Dlamini

Legally, the Government grounds for the review of the Supreme Court judgement awarding junior police officers a salary increment are valid with prospects of success.

It is important to state that, even if we may wish to see the widely reported salary increment for the law enforcers concluded, it is a threat to the rule of law to implement a judgement that is a product of corruption.

A judgment, particularly of the highest court must be a product of justice and the manner in which Chief Justice(CJ) Bheki Maphalala conducted himself when presiding over this matter, amounts to corruption, he failed to declare a clear conflict of interest suggesting that, his wife Innocentia Tsabedze is a junior police officer and stands to benefit from a judgement delivered by her husband.

In fact, Maphalala, through his wife, stands to benefit from his own judgement and this, amounts to corruption in terms of the Prevention of Corruption Act 2006.

We can criticize Government or National Commissioner of Police Vusi Manoma Masango on the junior police officers salary increment issue but, the grounds for the review are valid, CJ Bheki Maphalala’s alleged addiction to corruption and/or abuse of power blinded him to disregard a clear conflict of interest.

Perhaps, it is important to state that, our demand for Government to increase salaries for junior police officers does not mean, we will ‘kiss’ the devil for serving us with food just because we are hungry.

Violating the judicial code of conduct justifies the impeachment of a Judge, CJ Maphalala messed-up a genuine case merely by refusing or failing to voluntarily recuse himself.

The conflict of interest makes it very difficult to defend the Supreme Court judgment because the grounds raised by Government are, in my view, valid with prospects of success.

But the legal technicalities does not wash away the fact that, Government is obligated to increase salaries for junior police officers and we must remember that, while the ‘game’ is being played” within the courts, police officers are getting more frustrated and financially broke.

Therefore, junior police officers must receive their salary increment while Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala is being dealt with or removed.

CJ Bheki Maphalala is addicted to corruption and this, might have blinded his reasoning and/or ability to assess things rationally by applying logic because clearly, he should have foreseen the consequences of being part of the Supreme Court Judges who presided over the matter.