ZAThe Constitutional Court of South Africa has rejected the request by former President Jacob Zuma and ex-President Thabo Mbeki to have retired Justice Sisi Khampepe removed from leading an inquiry into alleged political interference in apartheid-era Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) cases. The court allowed Khampepe to continue as chairperson of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry but granted Zuma and Mbeki leave to appeal the High Court's decision. The High Court previously ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to handle the recusal application due to Khampepe being a retired judge. Zuma and Mbeki claimed that Khampepe's past roles in the National Prosecuting Authority and TRC hearings created a reasonable concern about bias. They also criticized the High Court for issuing a majority judgment without including a dissenting opinion, arguing this limits public access to legal reasoning.
Bias read (Center): The article presents the court's decision and the arguments from both sides without overtly favoring either Zuma/Mbeki or Khampepe. It reports the legal reasoning and procedural aspects neutrally, without loaded language or selective emphasis on one perspective over another.
