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IOL News
10 hours ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Black Lawyers Association demands more than an apology from Judge Mokgoatlheng
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng has apologised over racially charged comments he made when one of the advocates requested to miss court to run the Comrades marathon. Image: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers AN apology alone, is not good enough, the Black Lawyers Association (BLA) said in response to Presiding judge in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial, Ratha Mokgoatlheng's apology on Monday following his court outburst where he made several remarks with racial undertones. Last week, Judge Mokgoatlheng expressed outrage in court after learning that defence advocate Charles Mnisi had written to his registrar, requesting to be excused from proceedings on Monday to participate in the Comrades Marathon. "This is what happens in a South Africa run by blacks. I can tell you now, even if you call Uncle Tom, I don't think a white advocate will ever have the gall to ask me that. Never," he said. The BLA did not take the comments lightly, calling out Judge Mokgoatlheng for launching 'an extremely unfortunate attack on black lawyers'. They gave him seven days to withdraw his comments, threatening further action if he failed to do so. 'What the Judge might not be aware of is that the attacks on black lawyers are not only distasteful but threaten our economic survival as law is our business. We strongly reject the assertion made by Judge Mokgoatlheng that seeks to compare black and white lawyers in the carrying out of their duties, especially in court. What is indisputable is that black lawyers are extremely capable, excellent and high level professionals. Our democratic set up has no place for the kind of Presiding Judge Mokgoatlheng represents,' the BLA said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ As the court session resumed on Monday, the judge made a public apology. "There is one thing I must attend to, all of us I am sure we read newspapers. It is proper that I should address this issue. Initially I want to say, I have been 26 years on the bench, as an acting judge, and as a judge. I have never ever behaved the way I did (on Thursday). I have been 30 years as an attorney before I became a judge," the judge addressed those in court. "I spoke to the JP (judge president) and the JP spoke to me together with the DJP. The JP rightfully excoriated me for my conduct, that it is not befitting of a judge of my experience and my stature that I should have behaved like I did. And I agree, my conduct was questionable and incorrect. My wife also, who I thought is afraid of me, told me that I should apologise to the whole of South Africa because I am worse than the attorneys who apparently steal the monies of clients in the RAF (Road Accident Fund) matter. She was reading the newspaper the other day about the fact that attorneys apparently (steal from clients) and they are colourless, they stole about R1.5 billion of RAF funds which belong to clients,' the judge said. Judge Mokgoatlheng said he wished to tender his "sincerest" apologies because the way he had behaved was contrary to his nature. In response to Judge Mokgoatlheng's apology, the BLA said while it was welcomed, it was not good enough given the severity of what was said. The BLA planned to reach out to call for further engagement on the issue. 'We welcome (the apology) but there must be a deeper conversation about what the judge has raised. Maybe we are not understanding the context. I personally want to understand how he thinks in terms of the issues of black lawyers. Once you start questioning the ability of practitioners on the basis of skin colour, you are raising a different topic altogether. I don't want to assume he is saying he does not trust in the abilities of black lawyers because there are exceptional legal minds out there, including him who is a judge today. He can't be casting aspersions on himself, that's why I'm saying a deeper conversation is needed,' BLA secretary general, Takalani Chris Mamathuntsha said.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
More white South Africans resettle in US after Trump fast-tracks ‘refugee program'
A second group of white South Africans has arrived in the United States as part of a refugee programme initiated by the Trump administration, according to officials and advocacy groups. Jaco Kleynhans, head of international liaison at the Solidarity Movement, which represents South Africa's white Afrikaner minority, confirmed that nine individuals, including families and children, arrived late last week via a commercial flight. A US Embassy spokesperson told reporters via email that "refugees continue to arrive in the United States from South Africa on commercial flights as part of the Afrikaner resettlement program's ongoing operations." This follows an initial group of 59 white South Africans who arrived at Dulles International Airport in Virginia last month on a chartered flight. The resettlement programme was announced by US President Donald Trump in February, with his administration expediting the process for white South Africans while suspending other US refugee programmes indefinitely. The Trump administration said it is offering refugee status to white South Africans it alleges are being persecuted by their Black-led government and are victims of racially motivated violence. The South African government has denied the allegations and said they are a mischaracterization of the country. Trump has falsely claimed that white South African farmers are targeted in widespread attacks that amount to genocide and are having their land taken away. Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with those baseless claims during a meeting at the White House last month. Ramaphosa has said the relatively small number of attacks on white farmers are part of South Africa's larger problems with violent crime, which affects all races. The Trump administration initially said the refugee program was aimed at members of South Africa's Afrikaner minority, who are descendants of mainly Dutch and French colonial settlers. In new guidance published by the US Embassy last month, applicants must be 'a member of a racial minority' in South Africa and 'must be able to articulate a past experience of persecution or fear of future persecution.' There are approximately 2.7 million Afrikaners among South Africa's population of 62 million, which is more than 80% Black. They are not the only white minority. There are around 4.5 million whites in total, including those with British or other heritage. The US Embassy spokesperson said the US 'continues to review inquiries from individuals who have expressed interest to the embassy in resettling to the United States and is reaching out to eligible individuals for refugee interviews and processing." While US officials have not said how many South Africans have applied to be relocated, Kleynhans said there have been around 8,000 applications. Another group helping white South Africans apply for refugee status has said tens of thousands have applied.
Daily Maverick
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Rhetoric vs reality — Trump touts himself as peacemaker, but actions against SA suggest otherwise
The highly anticipated, drama-packed bilateral meeting between presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and Donald Trump at the White House on 21 May 2025 marked a critical juncture in the already deteriorating relations between South Africa and the US. Strained by a controversial executive order and differing views on violent crime, the meeting offered both leaders a chance to reset relations and find common ground. For Trump, it was also an opportunity to reinforce his image as a global peacemaker, though his confrontational approach raises doubts about this label. Executive order: Confrontation over collaboration On 7 February 2025, just 18 days into his second term, Trump signed the Addressing Egregious Actions of the Republic of South Africa executive order. Aimed at countering alleged human rights violations tied to South Africa's Expropriation Act, the order halts US aid, including Pepfar and USAID programmes, and promotes the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees fleeing 'racially motivated violence'. The US has already resettled 49 Afrikaners, with plans to accelerate and expand this initiative. South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation issued a statement on 8 February 2025 condemning the executive order as historically tone deaf and factually unfounded. It accused the Trump administration of ignoring South Africa's efforts at what it deems racial reconciliation and undermining its domestic legal processes. With the executive order as the backdrop, the White House meeting was expected to be less a diplomatic routine than a high-stakes political confrontation. Violent crime and divergent narratives The meeting's focus was violent crime in South Africa, particularly against white farmers. One week prior to the meeting, Trump controversially labelled the violence 'a slow genocide'. In the Oval Office, he presented Ramaphosa with a compilation of news articles, and a video of EFF leader Julius Malema chanting 'kill the Boer'. This set the agenda for the meeting, and other issues that may seem important for a bilateral meeting at this high-level such as trade, investment, tariffs and the G20 were set aside. The White House posted the video to its official X account, captioned: 'JUST SHOWN IN THE OVAL OFFICE: Proof of Persecution in South Africa.' Ramaphosa argued that crime is a national crisis affecting all South Africans, black and white alike, not a race-specific, state-sponsored campaign. The clash between the two leaders revealed not just disagreement over facts, but over the very lens through which crime, race and governance are interpreted. Peacemaking or performance? Trump used the meeting to reiterate his global peacemaking credentials, citing his mediation efforts in Ukraine and between India and Pakistan. When asked about his message to Africa ahead of Africa Day on 25 May, he shared a vision of 'peace, happiness and health', citing US mediation between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo as evidence of his commitment. However, Trump's actions towards South Africa, such as suspending aid, amplifying racially charged narratives and promoting a shambolic refugee pipeline, deviates from traditional diplomatic peacemaking efforts. Rather than offering Ramaphosa tools for crime prevention or cooperative law enforcement assistance, Trump adopted a posture of exposure. 'You know the beauty of exposing it (farm murders) is it's like a cleansing action. When it gets exposed, it'll get fixed. That's when it'll get fixed. But people don't talk about it,' Trump said during the meeting in front of the media. Whether a popular approach or not, his intent was to address violent crime in South Africa, telling Ramaphosa: 'I want you to look good, I don't want you to look bad.' Polarisation as strategy Trump's approach aligns less with classic peacemaking than with coercive diplomacy, where pressure and public shaming are used to alter state behaviour. But such tactics carry the risk of deepening diplomatic estrangement. Ramaphosa, referencing Nelson Mandela's teachings, urged 'sitting around the table and talking about it', pointing to dialogue rather than denunciation as the path forward. The question, then, is whether this highly public confrontation will serve as a catalyst for domestic reform or simply entrench existing polarities. There is a real danger that Trump's framing could polarise South African society and international observers alike. The limits of performative peacemaking The Trump-Ramaphosa meeting revealed both the fragility and potential of US-South Africa relations. While it succeeded in spotlighting violent crime as a serious issue, it failed to foster a collaborative framework for addressing it. Trump's rhetoric suggests a leader keen on global recognition as a problem solver, but his method of being confrontational, racially selective and domestically performative may undercut that ambition. Whether South Africa receives this moment as a wake-up call or a provocation will depend on Ramaphosa's next move. If he chooses dialogue over defensiveness, there may yet be room for progress. But if Trump's brand of peacemaking continues to prioritise visibility over mutuality, the legacy may be one of polarisation rather than peace. DM
NZ Herald
24-05-2025
- NZ Herald
Hamilton bookstore hit by serial vandal targeting women's biographies
A staff member then spotted a copy of Straight Up, the biography of Black Fern star Ruby Tui had been ripped, and returned to the shelf with the back facing. Two copies of rugby league commentator Honey Hireme-Smiler 's biography were also damaged in the same way during a later visit. 'We knew then that someone was doing this on purpose and we did think 'Okay, does this person have an issue with women?',' Carter said. On Friday, a copy of Full Circle by TV presenter Jenny May-Clarkson was also found 'ripped and hidden, face down' on one of the store's display stands. 'I was thinking 'why is this happening to these three particular women?',' she said. Carter then discovered that the same thing, involving the same three books, had also occurred at a bookstore 25 minutes out of Hamilton. 'What got me... is the disrespect. No respect for our store, no respect for these women, and just purposefully doing it,' she said. 'We're an independent bookstore, we've been here for 44 years and we've actually never had anything like this happen to us.' Although the store had experienced theft, no one had deliberately vandalised stock until now, Carter said. 'In 2025, as everyone knows retail is hard for anyone. We are against the big-wigs, we are very local and our customers support us and they're amazing. It's hard work in this retail environment, and then to see that, that's more money going out of my pocket.' The store owner had not engaged with police yet as she was unsure as to whether they could do anything. 'I want this person to know that they're not welcome back and we will trespass. I don't want this kind of behaviour in the store.' Because it had happened at multiple stores, Carter felt the man's actions were racially motivated. 'Someone's got an issue, a big issue.' Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Hireme-Smiler, a former cross-code international-turned commentator, hails from Putāruru, South Waikato and is of Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāti Ahuru descent. May-Clarkson (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Kahu) is another former international sporting star who successfully transitioned to a media career. Tui - a Black Ferns world champion and sevens Olympic gold medallist - has Samoan, Irish and Scottish heritage. 'What really annoys me is that these three women who have written these books, and what they've gone through to get to where they are is unbelievable,' Carter said. 'And this person just comes along and just does this to their books, that really grates me. 'It'll be really interesting to find out if this is happening anywhere else in the Waikato. What concerns me is that he's doing it another store.' She estimated the culprit was aged 'between 45 and 60'. 'We hope he feels like sh*t. It's just uncalled for. We're not going to tolerate this behaviour any more.'
Business Insider
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
South African white residents condemn Trump's 'genocide' accusations
White South African residents of Noordhoek, Western Cape, including Afrikaners, have strongly rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's recent claims of a "white genocide" in South Africa. White residents of Noordhoek, Western Cape, have refuted U.S. President Donald Trump's statements of a 'white genocide' in South Africa. Critics view Trump's remarks as misrepresentative and potentially harmful to South Africa's reconciliation and social progress efforts. President Cyril Ramaphosa countered Trump's claims, stating that no evidence exists for racially motivated violence against white farmers. A group of white families in South Africa, including Afrikaner families from the quiet town of Noordhoek, have countered U.S. President Donald Trump's claims that white people in the country are being harmed or treated unfairly because of their skin color. They describe his statements as inaccurate, inflammatory, and disconnected from the country's nuanced racial dynamics. AfricaNews reports that residents of Noordhoek, a predominantly white town in the Cape Peninsula echoed President Ramaphosa's sentiments in interviews with China Central Television (CCTV), expressing disbelief and frustration over President Trump's claims. Many in the community stressed that crime is a national issue that affects all South Africans, regardless of race or background. 'There's crime amongst all the people,' said one resident. ' Of course, in poorer areas where there's less money, there's more crime. But that's true for both Black and white people. ' President Trump made the statement during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House earlier this week. In a show of support for the white minority, the U.S. President in an office with his cabinet presented video clips and printed news reports, to buttress his position, claiming white South African farmers are being systematically murdered and dispossessed of land through government-enabled seizures. Ramaphosa denounces accusations President Ramaphosa denounced the allegations as a misrepresentation of facts. He emphasized that violent crime in South Africa affects all communities, and races, noting that no state policies discriminate against whites or promote racially motivated violence. Reports gathered from local white residents emphasized that South Africa's high crime rates are a national issue affecting all communities, rather than disproportionately impacting one racial group. Many expressed disbelief and frustration at Trump's portrayal of South Africa, with one Noordhoek resident acknowledging crime as a challenge in certain areas but denying racial targeting. President Trump's interventions have been perceived as overly critical, sparking renewed international debate, particularly in the United States. Some American politicians and media outlets have seized on isolated farm attack incidents to fuel a narrative of white persecution in South Africa. SA crime data shows conflicting reports However, official data from the South African Police Service (SAPS) consistently shows that farm attacks are not racially targeted, but rather form part of the country's broader and deeply entrenched crime epidemic. These incidents, which include robbery, assault, and in some cases murder, affect farmers of all races—Black, white, and mixed race alike—and are largely driven by socio-economic conditions, rural vulnerability, and general lawlessness rather than racially motivated animosity. Crime analysts and local human rights organizations have repeatedly emphasized that there is no statistical evidence to support the notion of a coordinated campaign or genocide against white farmers. In fact, most violent crime in South Africa occurs in urban areas and informal settlements, disproportionately affecting poor and marginalized communities. For Noordhoek residents, this misinformation and needless response from White House undermines South Africa's fragile efforts at reconciliation and social progress—moving forward.
