Cape Times E-dition

Sisulu sticks to her guns about the judiciary becoming a ‘tool’

TSHWARELO HUNTER MOGAKANE

TOURISM Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has boldly repeated her stance that the judiciary has become a tool for politicians and individuals with deep pockets.

Not backing down on the oped that she penned back in January, Sisulu recently went on to say that while judges may have come from the working class, their consciousness had changed.

The minister, who is also a member of the national executive of the governing ANC, was giving a keynote address at a Youth Day celebration event held at Unisa this week, where she was invited to explain her January article.

“This piece elucidated divergent views and caused a political tsunami. Press conferences, articles and media appearances by professors, ex-judges, media personalities, politicians, ANC veterans, commentators and men and women of letters. Even the president of the Republic got involved. I met with the president on this matter, the outcome of which is now public knowledge.

“What was most astonishing was to watch the then acting Chief Justice (Raymond Zondo) taking umbrage and declaring that all black judges had been insulted. He went on to list himself, all the black judges of the Constitutional Court, all the black judges of the Supreme Court of Appeal and the judge presidents of the various divisions – to my horror, I must say.

“To my horror, because I have great respect for all these eminent judges. But was this accusation true or was it just a misinterpretation of the English language? Or misreading of points of fact,” she said.

Sisulu said she was happy that Unisa didn’t join the bandwagon against the points she had raised. “Of all the responses to the article I wrote, I am grateful to the law faculty here that has invited me to come and discuss those matters that were raised in my article. When the furore arose from all around, I was certain that with all the negativity and deliberate misinterpretation the backlash was largely a political one.

“I am certain the article flew right over the likes of Cosatu’s leaders, and I was quite certain that a whole lot of other people were whipped up to respond. And they were vulgar,” Sisulu said.

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2022-06-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-06-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://capetimes.pressreader.com/article/281509344865026

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