The Judicial Service Commission has suspended Eastern Cape High Court Judge Belinda Hartle amid claims that she hurled racist abuse at a court employee during an ugly confrontation last year.
The move follows a damning complaint by Thozamile Semekazi, who works for the Office of the Chief Justice, and who says the judge unleashed a torrent of vitriol including the K-word during a chambers incident in East London.
Semekazi alleges the verbal attack left him humiliated and battling major depression, while Hartle insists she merely used a swear word and denies targeting him with racial hatred.
The Chambers Confrontation That Triggered A Crisis
Semekazi claims the ugly scene unfolded on May 15, 2025, when he arrived at the East London High Court to deliver case flow management files to the secretary serving Judge Hartle.
He alleges that once the judge became aware of his presence, she flew into a rage and peppered him with obscene language that cut far deeper than ordinary workplace friction.
He recalls she allegedly shouted the phrase repeatedly.
“F**k You, p**s man,”
She then allegedly followed up with an even more inflammatory outburst.
“I am tired of Mafala’s staff, bloody f******g K****.”
Semekazi further maintains that the judge’s secretary witnessed the entire meltdown, and that the experience plunged him into such severe emotional turmoil that doctors later diagnosed him with major depressive disorder requiring medical intervention.
Judge Hartle Fires Back And Rejects Accusations
Judge Hartle has not silently accepted the narrative, instead offering a partial admission tempered with a firm denial of the most serious charges leveled against her.
She concedes that a swear word did escape her lips during the interaction, but vigorously rejects the claim that it was aimed at Semekazi or carried any racial intent.
In her defense, she accuses the complainant of deliberately twisting the encounter to undermine her judicial work and suggests the grievance forms part of a wider institutional dispute that has been improperly circulated among colleagues.
Deputy Chief Justice Delivers Stinging Rebuke
Deputy Chief Justice Dunstan Mlambo did not mince words when the Judicial Conduct Committee considered whether the matter warranted escalation to a full tribunal investigation.
He stressed that the committee was not yet ruling on the ultimate truth of the allegations, but rather assessing whether the claims, if proven, would amount to gross misconduct incompatible with judicial office.
Mlambo declared with unmistakable gravity that the judiciary could never tolerate racial hatred from the bench.
“A racist Judge has no place in the judiciary, referencing case law that deprecated the use of the K-word, even under the apartheid regime,”
Drawing on established precedent, he stated the following with reference to case law.
“When a black man is called a k**** by somebody of another race, as a rule the term is disparaging, derogatory and causes humiliation.
He continued his condemnation by warning that racial bias destroys public trust in the courts.
“The public cannot have confidence that a racist judge would administer justice fairly and justly when a person from the race he or she despises is a litigant. We are satisfied that the complaint, if established, will prima facie show that the respondent is guilty of gross misconduct,”
JSC Suspends Hartle And Sets Strict Tribunal Terms
The Judicial Service Commission formally resolved to suspend Judge Hartle after convening on 5 March 2026 and again on 28 April 2026 to weigh written arguments from both sides.
It had already resolved that the Chief Justice should appoint a Judicial Conduct Tribunal to probe the sweeping allegations of incapacity, gross incompetence, and gross misconduct now shadowing her career.
The body confirmed the formal resolution in an official statement.
“The Commission had resolved to request the Chief Justice to appoint a Judicial Conduct Tribunal (JCT) in terms of sections 19 and 21 of the Judicial Service Commission Act, 1994 to enquire into allegations of incapacity, gross incompetence, and gross misconduct against Judge Hartle,”
Both parties were invited to submit arguments on whether the Commission should advise the President that suspension was desirable under section 19(4) of the Act, read alongside section 177(3) of the Constitution.
The statement noted the precise composition of the meeting.
“The Commission, excluding the members designated by the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces, held a meeting on 28 April 2026 to consider the parties’ written submissions,”
The Commission ultimately reached a firm decision on her immediate future.
“After considering the submissions of the parties, the Commission resolved that it is desirable that Judge Hartle be suspended from office in terms of section 177(3) of the Constitution, with the condition that she is allowed to finalise her partly heard matters and reserved judgments during the period of her suspension.”
Safeguards Ordered To Protect Complainant During Probe
The suspension order is not a total ban on judicial work, as the Commission has permitted Judge Hartle to wrap up part-heard cases and deliver reserved judgments while she remains off the active bench.
The JSC also took the unusual step of instructing the Head of Court in the Eastern Cape Division to implement reasonable measures that would keep the judge and Semekazi apart during the suspension period.
The official communication outlined the protective directive clearly.
“Furthermore, the Commission has directed that the Head of Court in the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court take reasonable measures to minimise interaction between Judge Hartle and Mr Semekazi during the period of suspension,”