Cape Town – Retired chief justice Mogoeng Mogoeng has revealed that he was once offered a whopping R600 million for the “modernisation” of South Africa’s courts during his 10-year-term which ceased in October 2021.
Interviewed by eNCA’s JJ Tabane on his late-night programme Power to Truth on Monday, Mogoeng said if he had accepted the deal, he would have been required to ensure that courts had proper systems, including the latest technology.
“My conscience said no,” Mogoeng said, adding that he had quickly picked up that something was amiss with the offer.
Mogoeng did not divulge a lot on the topic nor did he at least reveal the name of the individual in question.
However, according to IOL, he did divulge the importance of the integrity of those who held high office.
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“What do you think is going to happen if that lover of money, that lover of fame, of power… somehow finds his or her way in the judiciary and an impressive offer is being made.
“At the end of the day, we are all human. It’s all a question of whether you are a person of integrity or not. Becoming appointed as a judge does not automatically render you insulated from the influences out there,” the report quoted Mogoeng as saying.
Mongoeng’s remarks followed the recommendation of Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) President Mandisa Maya as South Africa‘s next Chief Justice by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
Maya was the only female candidate among four for the position of Chief Justice.
She defeated Gauteng Judge President Dunstan Mlambo, acting Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, and Justice Mbuyiseni Madlanga.
Her approval, however, is subject to the approval of the president.
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Mogoeng also slammed Ramaphosa’s administration for its handling of Covid-19, questioning the constitutionality of the decisions made to combat the pandemic.
He claimed that the government should have considered Section 12(2) before declaring the state of disaster.
“Why is it that you people (the media) who are always fishing out for Mogoengs of this world never queried why Section 12(2) of the Constitution (was never considered),” IOL quoted Mongoeng as saying.
According to Section 12(2): “Everyone has the right to bodily and psychological integrity, which includes the right— (a) to make decisions concerning reproduction; (b) to security in and control over their body; and (c) not to be subjected to medical or scientific experiments without their informed consent”.
This was not the first time he criticised the government for the way it handled the pandemic.
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Delivering a keynote address at a virtual conference of the Forum for Institutions Supporting Democracy, chaired by public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane last year, Mogoeng asked:
“Are the people governing under the constitution during the Covid-19 era or is the executive and a command council governing in terms of the Disaster Management Act? Do we have a forum for citizens to consider issues relating to Covid-19 openly? Is the National Assembly scrutinising Covid-19 related issues in public?.
“Why have we allowed a structure that is neither constitutional nor statutory, a command council, and a minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and the President to interfere with our entrenched fundamental rights in this manner?.
“Why are we as citizens not insisting on accountability and openness by elected representatives of the people and on public debates on covid-19 related issues in the National Assembly.”
According to Herald LIVE, Mogoeng said at the time that government ought to have consulted, through public debates and at the National Assembly, before limiting people’s rights through different levels of lockdowns.
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Compiled by Sinothando Siyolo
