Raulinga stands firm as MK party fights IDAC ombud appointment

· Citizen

Retired Judge Takalani Raulinga says he is fully qualified to serve as the oversight judge for the Independent Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) despite objections by the MK party.

Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi officially announced Raulinga as the inaugural Ombud of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) on Friday.

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Raulinga appointment

The IDAC Ombud is mandated to investigate allegations of abuse of power, improper conduct, maladministration, and related complaints within the directorate.

“We have established a team with investigators… We have seconded investigators from the SIU [Special Investigating Unit] to [give] support. We have transferred officials from the Office of the Chief Justice,” Kubayi said.

“These officials that will be coming here will be permanently employed into the structure of the office, supported by the department.

MK party complaint

However, the MK party sent a complaint to Kubayi and other key institutions, raising concerns over Raulinga’s ties to the ANC and President Cyril Ramaphosa.

MK party chief whip and Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development member Mwzanele Manyi wrote to Kubayi, urging her to review Raulinga’s appointment as the inaugural head of the oversight office established to probe complaints of misconduct against IDAC officials.

Manyi described Raulinga’s appointment as an “error of judgement” and claimed it risked undermining pubic confidence in an institution intended to oversee politically sensitive corruption investigations.

Objection

Manyi’s objection is based on Raulinga’s 2015 Judicial Service Commission interview for the position of Judge President of the Limpopo High Court.

During that interview, Raulinga disclosed that he had been an ANC member before becoming a judge and had maintained a decades-long friendship with then deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa.

Manyi noted that former Chief Justice Mogoeng questioned Raulinga’s closeness to Ramaphosa, while Julius Malema argued the link undermined the credibility of past judgments.

ANC membership

Speaking at a media briefing at the Government Communications and Information Systems (GCIS) offices on Sunday, 20 July 2026, Raulinga rejected suggestions that his political past could compromise his impartiality, saying his former ANC membership had no bearing on his judicial conduct.

Raulinga maintained that Ramaphosa played no role in his appointment and said he remains bound by his judicial oath.

“I used to be a member of the ANC. I never held any [officer] in the ANC. And I have been working in different entities. I’ve been a magistrate. I’ve been a prosecutor. I’ve been a regional court president. In all these instances, I took an oath of being fair and not favour anybody.

“When I became a judge, I took an oath without fear, without favour and without prejudice. And I still commit to that with the disclosures that I’ve made,” Raulinga said.

IDAC reputation

Raulinga added that he is not concerned about IDAC’s reputation, stressing that the institution cannot be brought down by one individual and that no one has been found guilty of any wrongdoing.

“The minister might have appointed me. I report matters to her. In other words, all the complaints that we do are reported to the minister. I don’t have to say anything further to the minister.

“It’s just a question of reporting. Otherwise, I am accountable through the portfolio committee to Parliament, and which is appropriate,” he said.

Indepdendence

The retired judge said the office will operate independently and will be guided by facts and the law while ensuring complaints are handled fairly and without outside influence.

“By providing independent judicial scrutiny, the Office contributes to public confidence in the justice system and reinforces the principles that sustain our constitutional democracy.”

Raulinga stressed that the office was not created to obstruct law enforcement, but to strengthen institutional integrity by ensuring that power is exercised within the bounds of legality, accountability and fairness.

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