Pretoria High Court Judge Portia Phahlane has been placed on immediate special leave. This follows claims that she received bribes in exchange for favourable judgments.
Chief Justice Mandisa Maya said, “Judge Phahlane will be granted special leave with immediate effect pending finalisation of the criminal proceedings against her while the process of her suspension from duty is being considered.”
Judge Phahlane appeared in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on 26 November, facing charges of corruption and money laundering. Phahlane, her son Kagiso Phahlane, Vusi Soli Ndala and church leader of the IPHC, Micheal Sandlana, all appeared at the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday, where Phahlane was granted R50,000 bail. Her son, Kagiso, and Ndala were both granted R10,000 bail.
Chief Justice #MandisMaya warns corruption in the judiciary must be rooted out after Judge #PortiaPhahlane’s arrest. Phahlane, her son, and two co-accused face 19 charges linked to R2.4m in alleged payments. Maya says accountability strengthens the rule of law.
Full story:… pic.twitter.com/4WYeHwogjl
— Inside Politics (@InsidePoliticSA) November 27, 2025
The accused are collectively facing over 18 counts of corruption. Between 2021 and 2022, it is alleged that Ndala and Sandlana made payments totalling approximately R2.4 million to various bank accounts for the benefit of Judge Phahlane. These payments were made to influence her decision in Sandlana’s ongoing civil case at the High Court, ensuring that she would rule in his favour.
The Chief Justice has noted that the unprecedented arrest of Judge Phahlane comes at a time when public confidence in South African courts is already under strain.
The judiciary is fundamental to the country’s constitutional democracy, and any attack undermines the system’s integrity and authority. Chief Justice Maya has implored South Africans to have faith in the resilience of the country’s constitutional order.
Also see: Lesufi Suspends Gauteng Health Head Amid R2 Billion Tembisa Hospital Corruption Probe
