• An alleged plot to kill Deputy Judge President Patricia Goliath has been referred to the police and State Security Agency.
• Judge President John Hlophe, named in the assassination plot allegations, was still consulting with his lawyer on Tuesday.
• Goliath confirmed to News24 that she was informed of the threat by members of the Grahamstown Bar. 

A preliminary report about an alleged plot to assassinate Western Cape Deputy Judge President Patricia Goliath has been referred to the police and State Security Agency (SSA), the Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services said on Tuesday.

The document, compiled by the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS), was sent to these authorities, so that it can be "processed within the spectrum of law enforcement agencies' mandate", spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said.

"We will be guided by these two departments as to what steps can be taken in the interim, pending finalisation of the report," he said.

Judge President John Hlophe, who was named in the assassination plot allegations against his deputy over the weekend, said on Sunday he was shocked by the reports implicating him.

'Baseless'

His lawyer, Barnabas Xulu, who at the time called the averments "baseless and false", on Tuesday said he was still consulting with his client.

According to the JICS report cited by GroundUp, the allegation was that the senior judge, whom GroundUp did not initially name, allegedly contracted two men to assassinate his colleague through a third party.

A total of R3 million was "promised for the hit", but although it was nearly carried out, it was called off.

The would-be assassins still demanded money, and were allegedly paid R200 000.

Hlophe and Goliath were later identified in a report by Daily Maverick on Saturday.

Prison

Goliath confirmed to News24 that she was informed of the threat by members of the Grahamstown Bar after an inmate contacted them from prison.

She could not, however, give any further details.

In a separate matter, in January, she lodged a complaint against Hlophe, accusing him of gross misconduct and compromising the functioning of the Western Cape High Court.

News24 reported that she, among others, alleged there was preferential treatment for Hlophe's wife, Judge Gayaat Salie-Hlophe, that Hlophe had attempted to influence the appointments of judges seen as favourable to former president Jacob Zuma in the so-called Earthlife Africa case, and he had alleged assaulted a colleague, Judge Musthak Parker, last year.

Hlophe followed with a counter-complaint, denying the allegations of his deputy.

Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng in July dismissed the counter-complaint against Goliath.

He recommended that a tribunal be set up to investigate three serious allegations against Hlophe, a decision the judge president said he would appeal.

The claims to be probed are the alleged assault on Judge Parker, in Parker's chambers last year, the alleged use of abusive language for calling Goliath a "rubbish" and a "piece of s---" when he chased her out of his chambers in 2017, and the alleged abuse of power in relation to the office of the deputy judge president after he appointed a "very junior judge" to act on his behalf when he launched the Eastern Circuit Court Local Division in George last year.

News24 approached the office of the chief justice for comment. This will be added once received.