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KwaZulu-Natal regional court acting magistrate Kholeka Bodlani was provisionally suspended on Wednesday, July 22.
Her suspension is pending the outcome of an investigation into her fitness to hold office as a magistrate.
According to Chrispin Phiri, the spokesperson for the Ministery of Justice and Correctional Services, the matter was referred to the Minister by the Magistrates’ Commission.
“A judicial quality assessment of Ms Bodlani’s work revealed serious irregularities and shortcomings, most notably that a number of her cases had to be sent on special review in terms of section 304(4) of the Criminal Procedure Act as several serious shortcomings and incompetent sentences were imposed by her,” he said.
Bodlani was allocated to the Sexual Offences Court. She dealt with cases involving children who were raped by adults. The prescribed minimum sentence for such offences is life imprisonment.
“In almost all the finalized cases which were assessed, Ms Bodlani imposed sentences where the accused were cautioned or strongly reprimanded or wholly suspended,” said Phiri.
Phiri added the suspended sentences she imposed were found to have been both incompetent and incomplete
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