Free State judge has been on sick leave for 8 years, Judicial Conduct Tribunal hears
A South African judge, Lepona Joshua Lekale, is facing a Judicial Conduct Tribunal after remaining on paid sick leave for eight years. Despite being diagnosed as permanently blind, the judge has resisted medical boarding, citing traditional beliefs.
Why it matters
The case raises significant questions regarding judicial accountability, the use of taxpayer funds, and the intersection of traditional beliefs with professional conduct in the judiciary.
Free State Judge Lepona Joshua Lekale has been earning a judge’s salary and benefits for eight years without performing any duties, because he has been on sick leave, GroundUp reports.
A Judicial Conduct Tribunal probing his medical capacity to remain on the Bench heard evidence on Wednesday that it has been costing the taxpayer more than R500 000 a year just for his state-subsidised Mercedes GLC vehicle, petrol, services and toll fees.
During his extended sick leave, he even swapped his vehicle for a newer one and racked up considerable mileage.
Lekale, who is 62, only served six years before going on sick leave in 2018.
He has submitted a slew of sick notes for diabetes-related illnesses, which resulted in a leg amputation and vision loss, a condition an ophthalmologist in July 2024 described as “end stage”, diagnosing him as permanently legally blind.
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