logo
Presiding Judge in Meyiwa trial willing to recuse himself if lawyers believe he's biased

Presiding Judge in Meyiwa trial willing to recuse himself if lawyers believe he's biased

Eyewitness News5 hours ago

PRETORIA - The presiding judge in the Senzo Meyiwa trial has invited lawyers in the matter to apply for his recusal if they believe he is unfit to run the trial
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng made an extensive apology for the race-based comments he made in court last week.
As he rebuked a lawyer for asking for time off to run the comrades marathon, Mokgotlheng made comments about black lawyers and South Africa being run by blacks.
The judge has since apologised for the comments.
ALSO READ:
If Judge Mokgoatlheng recuses himself from the trial, the matter would have to start from scratch for a third time, and a third judge would be appointed to preside.
On Monday, Judge Mokgoatlheng, who has come under fire for his race-based comments, apologised and also extended an invitation to the lawyers before him.
'If you believe that I, as a judge, am so useless, dumb, and you think you can't get a fair trial from me, please tell me, I will recuse myself. I don't want to impose myself on people who doubt my integrity, honour and dignity.'
Judge Mokgoatlheng, who has been accused of being racist, gave a detailed apology for his comments and went to great lengths to give reasons why he is not.
'If I trampled on anybody's toes because of my racism, despite being in adherence to the Freedom Charter of 1955, I was there in Kliptown with my father, I wish to apologise for being a racist. I will try and mend my ways,but I can tell you, it's not a conscious thing about me to be a racist.'
He extended his apology to all South Africans, all judges, and in particular, Chief Justice Mandisa Maya.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Happy ending! SPCA rescues starving dog seen in TikTok
Happy ending! SPCA rescues starving dog seen in TikTok

The South African

time3 hours ago

  • The South African

Happy ending! SPCA rescues starving dog seen in TikTok

The national SPCA rescued an emaciated dog – nicknamed 'Bobby' – that was featured in a TikTok video last week. The animal was removed from its owners following a national outcry on social media. Content creator Sasha Tshiamo was the woman seen in the viral video – however, she insisted that the animal did not belong to her nor was it her 'responsibility'. Last week, a TikTok video featuring Sasha Tshiamo dancing was posted on the X platform. The video quickly went viral because of an emaciated dog in the background. The animal's ribcage was clearly visible, and it appeared lethargic. After scores of South Africans shared their concerns, the SPCA confirmed that it would be investigating the incident. It later updated the public that the starving dog – or 'Bobby' – had been rescued and removed from its home. It posted on X: 'Our Special Projects Unit jumped into action, and Bobby was taken in. She is now safe'. The SPCA has rescued an emaciated dog spotted in a viral video. the dog – nicknamed 'Bobby' was forced to eat plastic to survive. Images via X: @nspca_sa SPCA shared pics of the female dog, who appeared to have given birth to young puppies. They said of 'Bobby': 'She is the most lovable dog, handing out kisses to everyone since the moment she arrived! Forced to eat plastic to survive, Bobby was found severely malnourished, suffering from fly strike, and covered in ticks and fleas'. It continued: 'She's on a long road to recovery, but once healthy, she'll be sterilised and available to the loving and caring home she deserves'. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NSPCA (@ The SPCA has yet to reveal if Bobby's owners will face criminal charges for animal abuse. Under the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962, offenders can face a fine or imprisonment. They could also face a denial of ownership – preventing them from owning animals – as well as a criminal conviction. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.

Judge Mokgoatlheng apologises for racist remarks
Judge Mokgoatlheng apologises for racist remarks

eNCA

time3 hours ago

  • eNCA

Judge Mokgoatlheng apologises for racist remarks

PRETORIA - The presiding judge in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial has apologised for his controversial remarks he made on Thursday. Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng suggested that black lawyers behave unprofessionally compared with their white colleagues. He was unhappy with Advocate Charles Mnisi's request for time off to run the Comrades Marathon. The murder trial resumed on Monday with new evidence. It related to photos allegedly retrieved from the phones of accused number 2, Bongani Ntanzi, and accused number 3 Mthobisi Mncube, during the re-examination of lead investigator Brigadier Gininda.

The logic behind Dawie Roodt's conclusion that 'Most South African universities must be closed'
The logic behind Dawie Roodt's conclusion that 'Most South African universities must be closed'

IOL News

time4 hours ago

  • IOL News

The logic behind Dawie Roodt's conclusion that 'Most South African universities must be closed'

History has no blank pages. Lest we forget the teaching of Hendrik Verwoerd that: 'There is no place for [the Bantu] in the European community above the level of certain forms of Labour…. What is the use of teaching the Bantu child mathematics when it cannot use it in practice'. Exactly 31 years into a democracy, Roodt still dreams of an apartheid where whites saw themselves as the chosen (theologically, racially, politically, economically) nation of South Africa, 'De la Rey, De la Rey, sal jy die Boere kom lei'. A declaration by Roodt that 'most South African universities must be closed' and that only 10% should be allowed at universities is traced in the Afrikaner ideology, apartheid and a view 'net vir die blankes', an education for a few. Apartheid was a policy of segregation and political, social, and economic against black South Africans. The current statistic suggests that there are around 7% whites in the country, and this is the basis of Roodt's argument. In apartheid South Africa, schooling was compulsory for whites but not for Africans. Roodt has exceptions a 3% perhaps for future expansion of the white race or he wants to have exceptions for 'clever blacks' or house negros or Uncle Toms or Tengo Jabavu(s) who might be useful for the system for a whiteness project. Before we rush to conclude and argue that at least the 1953 Bantu Education Act created an opportunity for blacks to study or to even suggest that Verwoerd did not imply exclusion of black in all education, it is important to recall that the Act was created for black South Africans and to prepare them for lives as labouring class. Roodt base his argument on skills relevancy and on performance, and of course, the preceding sentence exposes his background and that his logic is rooted in the Bantu Act.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store