Pretoria - Cabinet has strongly condemned the blatant racism displayed by some individuals in the country, particularly on social network platforms.
“Such behaviour goes against the ethos of our Constitution, enshrined responsibilities and values and violates the rights of our people. This has no place in our democratic society,” said Acting Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.
She was addressing media during a post Cabinet briefing on Thursday in Cape Town.
In particular, Cabinet lamented the racist comments attributed to a senior member of the judiciary -- High Court Judge Mabel Jansen.
Judge Jansen, during a private conservation on Facebook, reportedly said rape is part of black culture. Since then, she has defended her comments and said they were taken out of context and that she referred to specific incidents of rape cases she presided over.
“The pronouncements, especially by an esteemed member of the judiciary, are not in keeping with what our society expects from members of the judiciary. The judiciary should always act impartially and in a manner that is beyond reproach,” Cabinet said.
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC), which deals with complaints against judges, on Tuesday received a complaint against Judge Jansen, which was logged by Advocate Vuyani Ngalwana in his capacity as the chairperson of the Advocates for Transformation in Johannesburg and in his personal capacity.
The JSC recommended to Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masuthu that Judge Jansen be placed on special leave. On Wednesday, the Minister approved special leave for Judge Jansen.
In a statement, the Department of Justice and Correctional Services said Minister Masutha’s granting of the leave follows the request from Judge President Dunstan Mlambo of the Gauteng Division of the High Court to place Judge Jansen on special leave, pending finalisation of a complaint submitted to the JSC.
“Tolerance and respect has been a cornerstone of our struggle for freedom and remains an essential part of South Africa’s democratic foundation. Let us unite again to jointly defeat the divisiveness of racism in our society,” Minister Mapisa-Nqakula said.
She said the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development plans to deal with such matters through the introduction of legislation to address racism, particularly hate speech.
Cabinet said all South Africans should respect each other as envisaged in the Bill of Rights.
TRC recommendations
Meanwhile, Cabinet has discussed the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations and proposed options for the implementation of Community Rehabilitation Projects.
These projects redress the injustices of the past through the rehabilitation of 128 communities that were subjected to acts of violence and destruction during the conflict period (1 March 1960 - 10 May 1994).
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development will get contributions from the relevant stakeholders in order to get sufficient resources to bring about holistic interventions in these 128 communities, identified by the TRC on a case by case basis that might differ in value but to a maximum value of R30 million.
“This will ensure that projects are feasible and sustainable in order to realise community aspirations,” the Minister said.
This contributes to the realisation of the National Development Plan through broadening social cohesion and unity, redressing the inequalities of the past and the realisation of a developmental, capable and ethical state that treats citizens with dignity. – SAnews.gov.za
