Limpopo High Court Judge President George Phatudi (pictured) may face a conduct tribunal following his handling of a Royal succession dispute.
Limpopo Judge President George Phatudi is set to face a tribunal after the Judicial Conduct Committee found, on the face of it, that he abused his powers in a royal dispute.
The finding followed a complaint lodged by Deborah Thulare and members of the Bapedi Royal House in Limpopo. They accuse Judge Phatudi of mishandling litigation instituted in the Limpopo Division of the High Court by their opponent in a long-running dispute over traditional leadership.
Retired Judge Chris Jafta, who headed the Judicial Conduct Committee, referred the matter to the Judicial Service Commission’s conduct committee for their recommendation on whether a tribunal should be established to examine the allegations further.
In January 2021, the king of the Bapedi Nation passed away without leaving a successor behind. The late king Victor Thulare’s mother, Queen Manyaku Thulare, and his half-brother Prince Morwamohube Thulare have since been embroiled in legal proceedings to be declared an acting monarch.
