Western Cape High Court Archives

Western Cape High Court rules against Dr John Hlophe’s appointment

By Rachel Mohamed The Western Cape High Court has overturned the National Assembly’s decision to endorse former Judge President John Hlophe—now Deputy President of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party—for a position on the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). The court ruled that Hlophe is unsuitable for the role due to his previous impeachment by the commission. Speaking on VOC’s News Beat, Mbekezeli Benjamin, a researcher at Judges Matter, noted that the […]

3 June 2025

Local

Economists Raise Concerns Over VAT Hike Amid Court Challenge

Economists have raised concerns about the sustainability of the 0.5% VAT increase set to take effect at the beginning of May. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced the hike as part of the revised fiscal framework, but the move has triggered significant political and public backlash. This week, the DA and the EFF appeared in the Western Cape High Court to challenge the decision. The court has since reserved judgment. Judge […]

23 April 2025

Local

Joshlin Smith’s kidnapping trial continues in the Western Cape High Court

By Rachel Mohamed The trial of Joslin Smith, the young girl who was purported to be kidnapped and trafficked, is currently underway at the Western Cape High Court in Saldanha Bay on the Cape West Coast. Shocking revelations have emerged, including that she was allegedly sold to a sangoma for R20,000. However, many questions about her current whereabouts remain unanswered. Speaking on VOC’s Breakfast Show on Friday, crime expert […]

4 April 2025

Local

High Court blocks Dr. John Hlophe from serving on JSC

By Lee-Yandra Paulsen The Western Cape High Court has temporarily blocked Dr John Hlophe, parliamentary leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, from serving on the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). The court granted an urgent interdict following a challenge from the Democratic Alliance (DA), which argued that Hlophe's appointment was irrational, particularly in light of his impeachment for gross misconduct. The DA raised concerns about Hlophe's suitability to serve on the […]

1 October 2024

Local

27-year-old sentenced to 20 years for murder of elderly woman

By Lee-Yandra Paulsen A 27-year-old suspect has been sentenced to 20 years behind bars for the murder of an elderly female. Judge Michelle Adams sentenced the accused, Keagan Samuels in the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday. According to the South African Police Services (SAPS) spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi, Samuels visited his family home in Dammert Street, Bellville South, on 01 August 2021, where he encountered his ten-year-old brother and his step-great-grandmother […]

25 April 2024

Local

Court rules that the late Imam Abdullah Haron’s death was not accidental but a murder by Apartheid regime

By Kouthar Sambo "Takbeer, Allahu Akbar! Takbeer, Allahu Akbar (magnification of God)!" These were the glorious echoes of supporters at the reopened inquest of the late cleric and Apartheid activist Imam Abdullah Haron, which reverberated throughout the corridors of the Western Cape High Court today. This comes after Judge Daniel Thulare delivered the final verdict of the late Imam's death. Judgement "The cause of death of Imam Abdullah Haron is […]

9 October 2023

Local

Zandile Mafe’s psychiatric report to be presented at Western Cape High Court

A psychiatric report on the alleged Parliament arsonist, Zandile Mafe, is expected to take centre stage when he returns to the Western Cape High Court on Thursday morning. The court had ordered that a psychiatrist assess him to determine whether he’s able to follow court proceedings and understand the gravity of his charges. In May, Judge Nathan Erasmus received a psychiatric evaluation report from medical experts but ruled that its […]

13 July 2023

Local

Serial rapist sentenced to 15 life sentence plus 30 additional years

A 66-year-old man was sentenced to 15 life terms and an additional 30 years in the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday for rape, abduction and sexual assault, according to the police. Herman Harker, who the police termed a serial rapist, was sentenced for four counts of abduction and sexual assault. He was arrested in Ladismith in June 2018, police spokesperson Colonel Brenda Muridili said. "The investigating officer's diligence and […]

22 May 2020

Local

Two CT gangster handed lengthy prison terms for murder and other crimes

Two gangsters from Manenberg in Cape Town have been sentenced in the Western Cape High Court to lengthy prison sentences after being found guilty of various crimes, including murder, committed during 2016 and 2017, the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Western Cape said on Saturday. On Friday, Donovan Manno, 26, was sentenced to two 24-year terms of imprisonment for two murders, three years for contraventions of the Prevention […]

26 January 2020

Western Cape High Court

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