South Africa: Mthatha High Court Officials Solicit Bribes to Do Their Jobs, Investigation Reveals

An investigation by the Southern Africa Accountability Journalism Project has corroborated allegations of systemic corruption at the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court in Mthatha, where court officials solicit bribes – some as high as R15,000 – from attorneys to perform routine administrative functions.

An investigation by the Southern Africa Accountability Journalism Project has corroborated allegations of systemic corruption at the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court in Mthatha, where court officials solicit bribes – some as high as R15,000 – from attorneys to perform routine administrative functions.

Attorneys attempting to perform routine administrative functions at the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court in Mthatha allege that court officials are soliciting bribes – some as high as R15,000 – to do tasks that should be part of their normal jobs.

The allegations were first detailed in an anonymous December 2024 letter to the Eastern Cape’s Acting Judge President Zamani Nhlangulela and then Acting Deputy Judge President Bantubonke Tokota.

Despite the seriousness of the allegations, neither judge responded to our requests for comment, which were first sent via email on 24 March. It is unclear what their response to the December 2024 letter was, and whether they have taken action.

Chief Justice Mandisa Maya was copied in our query and her spokesperson, Lindokuhle Nkomonde, acknowledged receipt. He said the “Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) has zero tolerance for fraud and corruption” and that it treats complaints pertaining to these “with…