Chairperson, this House has a lot of questions on Justice. This is a bit easier.
There are currently four magistrates under suspension; three of whom have been provisionally suspended pending inquiries into their fitness to hold office as magistrates. You know them; you processed them in Parliament. The fourth one has been suspended, pending consideration of his removal from office. Of the four magistrates, only one is receiving remuneration.
However, this is the good news, on 8 November 2007- well, I don't know if it is such good news - the relevant magistrate was convicted by the special crime court in Pretoria on a charge of receiving stolen property and was sentenced on 12 November 2007 to a 12-month period of imprisonment, suspended for five years. On 21 November 2007, which was yesterday, the ethics committee of the Magistrates' Commission decided to recommend to the Magistrates' Commission to withhold the person's salary further until they are removed. That commission was going to meet today to make that decision. I imagine the decision will then be sent to Parliament. So it is not really good news; it is sad news that our judicial officers can be found guilty of receiving stolen property.