Dejavu: Judiciary dispute reawakens old tensions :: Mmegi Online

In a dramatic but all too-familiar twist, Chief Justice (CJ) Gaolapelwe Ketlogetswe has once again found himself at the heart of a growing storm within the judiciary, this time involving High Court judge Dr Zein Kebonang. This all feels like déjà vu, and this pattern of CJ challenging other judges echoes the very situation Ketlogetswe once decried when he was on the fringes of the establishment, observes Mmegi staffer SPIRA TLHANKANE

This isn’t the first time the CJ has been embroiled in a high-stakes internal battle. Just a few years ago, Ketlogetswe was locked in a very public and legal confrontation with his predecessor, former Chief Justice Terrence Rannowane. At the time, Ketlogetswe, then a high court judge, accused Rannowane of dishonesty and interfering with judicial independence. The allegations escalated when Ketlogetswe also implicated then-Minister of State President, Kabo Morwaeng, in influencing the handling of a case involving former Lobatse legislator Dr Thapelo Matsheka.

The 2022-2023 standoff was unprecedented in modern judicial history and raised alarm bells about internal fractures within the supposedly impartial legal fraternity. Observers at the time warned that it signalled deeper systemic issues about how power is exercised, challenged, and preserved within the judiciary.

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