South African President Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday announced the suspension of two judges of the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg for failing to deliver more than two dozen judgments within the stipulated time limits.

In a statement, the Presidency of the Republic said that the head of state had suspended Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela and Judge Nomonde Mngqibisa-Thusi "to allow the Judicial Conduct Tribunal to investigate suspicions of misconduct in relation to alleged excessive delays by judges in handing down a significant number of sentences".

The South African president's decision was recommended in January by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) after hearing a judicial conduct committee.

"The President informed Chief Justice Raymond Zondo and the suspended judges of his decision," said the South African Presidency.

Both judges cited health problems and family responsibilities to justify the delays, according to the local press, which reported that some of the more than 20 pending trials date back to 2018 with an average delay of between six and 27 months after the cases were heard.