SA Chief Justice's Militant Call to Arms: 'Declares War Against White SA Males'
Legal experts: 'SA chief-justice Mogoeng Mogoeng's militant speech words 'border on hate speech" -- by Philip de Bruin, senior legal editor, Beeld, whote writes:
Tuesday, 9 July 2013 - South African Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng made allegations and charges against members of the Judicial Service Commission which, according to commentators, 'border on hatespeech'.
His speech reportedly was peppered with aggressive words such as ''take up arms' and 'declared war' . Mogoeng was addressing the annual meeting of the 'Advocates for Transformation' in Cape Town and called on the 'truly progressive organisations' to take up arms against
'organisations and individuals who want to uphold white-male dominance of the Law Courts with their sustained (verbal) attacks.'
"I am here to challenge you (members of the Advocates for Transformation) and other truly progressive organisations to fight back against any attempts to maintain white male dominance in the law courts.
He added: "Developments (over the past few months) indicate that War Has been declared against Transformation. They (white males) want a JSC they can dictate to'.
He also warned that 'people must expect hot coals to be heaped upon their heads.'... and urged organised legal groups to 'lead the battle for transformation in the judiciary and the Bench.
He called on the Black Lawyers Assocation and the National Democratic Lawyers to 'become agents of transformation'.
De Bruin's request for comment on the Mogoeng speech from Pretoria legal expert Prof Marinus Wiechers elicited the response that 'Mogoeng's speech borders on hate-speech'.
Wiechers: "It appears to be a call to arms, to declare war. Strangely he said nothing about the quality, which is more important than transformation.'
Potchefstroom legal expert Prof. Tom Coetzee said he 'almost cannot believe that a Chief Justice can deliver such an extremely militant speech.'
The chairman of Advocates for Transformation advocate senior counsel Dumisa Ntsebeza, who also is the official spokesman for the Judicial Service Commission, 'was not available
for comment yesterday,' De Bruin wrote.
http://www.beeld.com/nuus/2013-07-09-veg-teen-wit-oorheersing
'Our White Compatriots Are Really in the Commanding Heights of the Economy'... Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng
In April City Press journalist Charl Du Plessis @CharlduPlessc also quoted Moegeng as making very similar comments at the opening ceremony of the International Commonwealth Law Conference.
Du Plessis quoted Moegeng:
"Our white compatriots Are Really in the Commanding Heights of The Economy," said SA ChiefJustice Mogoeng Mogoeng at the Cape Town opening ceremony of the International Commonwealth Law Conference
on April 15 2013. Du Plessis: "Mogoeng also issued a grim warning to the media not to “rubbish” the Judicial Service Commission because that could destroy constitutional democracy."
“Red lights begin to flash whenever a concerted effort is being made to project the only true guarantor of constitutional democracy in a bad light, especially when you are recklessly going about that,” said Mogoeng.
"The chief justice made these comments during the opening ceremony of the international Commonwealth Law Conference today.
"Several South African lawyers told City Press they thought the tone of Mogoeng’s speech was “inappropriate” because the conference was an international event attended by dignitaries, chief justices and prominent lawyers.
"Mogoeng told the conference that the surest way to weaken a constitutional democracy was to deligitimise the judicial appointment authority and by extension, its judicial officers.
"He said the need for transformation was so obvious that it did “not even require to be defined”.
"Mogoeng said there was a need for “regular commentators” in the media to provoke urgent discussions about the redistribution of land and about those who had previously been excluded from the economy.
"He said that the consequences of not taking stock of some of the major issues affecting South Africa could mean “we find ourselves in the same situation as some of our neighbouring countries”.
"Mogoeng did not mention any country by name, but said these “neighbouring states” had been forced to take “drastic action”.
"The chief justice also said the “truth often gets compromised” when “campaigns” for the appointment of preferred judicial candidates take place.
"As an example, Mogoeng referred to the discussion document regarding the appointment of white males, which was authored by commissioner Izak Smuts.
"The document sparked controversy and led to the resignation of Smuts on Friday.
"Mogoeng said weekend media reports incorrectly stated the document had been leaked when it was in fact circulated.
'Why don’t you tell the nation the truth?'Mogoeng was quoted as saying.
In February, he defended the JSC when questions were raised about its 'commitment to gender transformation'.
“All sectors within SA society must be transformed, including the judiciary,” he said at the time: adding: 'Our economic sector remains lamentably untransformed, the four big media houses cry out for meaningful transformation in terms of ownership, race and gender.”
And he warned last year at the retirement function for judge Bernard Ngoepe against 'what resources and forces the rich and powerful can mobilise against you.. what ridicule, recycled criticism and misinformation campaigns the media and others could subject you to”.
http://www.citypress.co.za/politics/mogoeng-tread-gingerly-or-hamba-kahle/
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