Advocate completes Comrades Marathon as Senzo Meyiwa judge says sorry
Senzo Meyiwa trial lawyer Advocate Charles Mnisi crossed the finish line at the Comrades Marathon on Sunday, 8 June.
This comes after his leave to attend the ultramarathon was berated by Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng in court last week. He has since publicly apologised.
The murder trial for the late soccer player continues in the Pretoria High Court.
On social media, South Africans posted clips of Advocate Charles Mnisi running en route in the Comrades Marathon.
This included moments when he stopped to greet the public and even screenshots of him on television.
According to his marathon bib, Mnisi finished the 90km race in 10 hours and 42 minutes.
Last week, Advocate Mnisi's request for leave for Monday, 9 June – the day he would be travelling back from the Comrades Marathon – was harshly condemned by Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng.
'I don't think a white advocate can have the gall to ask me that', the judge said. He was later accused of racial profiling the legal professional.
On Monday, Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng publicly apologised to Advocate Mnisi in his absence for his condescending comments about the Comrades Marathon.
After being reprimanded by the judge president, he told the Pretoria High Court: 'I have never behaved the way I did…I agree, my conduct was questionable and incorrect.'
Mokgoatlheng continued: 'I apologise to the accused, the lawyers, the public, the judges, magistrates, students, religious leaders – to everyone in SA who felt hurt or insulted by my actions.'
However, the judge stopped short of apologising over claims that his comments were racially driven.
He added: 'If people say I'm a racist, maybe I'm not aware of that, but I apologise.'
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