MBABANE – Close family members of the late Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala have dismissed claims that the head of the Judiciary was poisoned.
Claims that the chief justice (CJ), who passed away last Wednesday, had been poisoned surfaced on social media publications following his demise. Maphalala’s family, through his nephew, Sicelo, yesterday expressed surprise at the poisoning allegations. Sicelo told this publication that the CJ had not been feeling well for quite some time.
“We were surprised about what was being said on social media, that he had been poisoned, because we knew that he had not been feeling well. He told us that he was ill, but people are spreading false information. He had been ill for sometime,” said Sicelo.
He said the late CJ had experienced periods of ill health, with his condition improving briefly before he became unwell again.
“He was not feeling well and at some point I went to check on him. He was not well indeed and he used to tell us so. It went on until he passed away,” said Sicelo.
He said he could not recall how long the CJ had been ill.
According to Sicelo, there had been occasions when the CJ reported that he was feeling better.
He recalled that a few weeks before his death, Maphalala had told him that he was feeling better and had asked him to inform other family members about a planned function at home.
However, when Sicelo later went to the family home, he did not find the CJ there. He said this did not surprise him because Maphalala was a busy man and sometimes travelled outside the country on duty.
Sicelo did not disclose the nature of the illness suffered by the late CJ.
“As a family, we dispel the allegations of poisoning,” he said.
The CJ’s body remains at a morgue in the Republic of South Africa, where he had been receiving treatment when he passed away.
According to Sicelo, the Maphalala family is awaiting direction from the authorities regarding the date of the late CJ’s funeral.
While mourning their loss, the bereaved family extended its sincere condolences to Their Majesties and the police, noting that the CJ had also worked with them.
His death marked the end of a legal career that saw him rise from private legal practice to the country’s highest judicial office.
Maphalala became the first liSwati to serve as chief justice following his appointment in 2015.
His death last week was confirmed by a close relative who asked not to be named because he was not authorised by the family to speak publicly about the matter.
Maphalala had remained active in the public space until recently, including dealing with major national issues affecting the Judiciary in the weeks before his death.
His death came 34 days after he publicly released the report and 185 days after the commission formally delivered it to him.
Maphalala’s final months in office were marked by some of the Judiciary’s significant public interventions, including the release of the Master’s Office inquiry report and his comments concerning the independence of institutions involved in combating corruption.
BY KWANELE DLAMINI AND MBONGISENI NDZIMANDZE
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