EFF leader Julius Malema has apologised to Judge Elias Matojane and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
Malema made the apology in the National Assembly on 30 September 2026.
The apology relates to a question Malema asked Matojane during a JSC interview in 2021. The question concerned a R500,000 damages order involving the EFF and former Finance Minister Trevor Manuel.
What Malema asked Judge Matojane
Malema served as a JSC commissioner in April 2021.
At the time, Matojane was a judge of the Gauteng High Court. He was also a candidate for a position on the Supreme Court of Appeal.
During the interview, Malema asked Matojane about a judgment involving the EFF.
Matojane had ordered the EFF, Malema and former EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi to pay R500,000 in damages to Manuel.
Malema asked how Matojane had reached the R500,000 amount without oral evidence from the parties.
However, Matojane said he could not discuss the matter because another court was still considering it.
Malema accepted the response and ended the exchange.
Parliament takes action
The question later became part of a complaint to Parliament’s Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests.
The committee found that Malema had breached Parliament’s ethics rules.
The committee focused on Malema’s decision to question a judge about a case involving him and his political party.
It then recommended that Malema apologise to Matojane and the JSC.
The National Assembly adopted the recommendation in December 2021.
Malema challenges the decision
Malema did not accept the parliamentary decision.
He took the matter to the Western Cape High Court in an attempt to overturn the decision.
However, the court dismissed his application in May 2025.
The court found that Parliament could apply its ethics rules to Malema while he served on the JSC.
As a result, the requirement for Malema to apologise remained in place.
Apology delivered
Parliament later set 30 September 2026 as the deadline for Malema to make the apology.
Malema has now complied with that requirement.
He apologised to Judge Matojane and the JSC in the National Assembly.
The apology concerns the question Malema asked during the 2021 JSC interview.
