David Gant writes that it is time that the South African public told Dali Mpofu, Carl Niehaus and Ace Magashule to shut up.
Irrespective of one’s view of the performance of the Minister of Public Enterprises, who on the face of it has presided over the catastrophic failures of our SOEs, the body language and verbal toxicity of Dali Mpofu at the Zondo commission’s so-called cross examination of Gordhan’s previous evidence, and indeed the disingenuous behaviour of Jacob Zuma’s obstructive senior counsel, has severely dented rational citizen’s faith in the integrity of our legal profession.
Notwithstanding Zondo’s slap on his wrist, Mpofu’s politically motivated conduct was disgraceful and there should be consequences.
He attacked the persona of Pravin Gordhan and not his evidence, and his behaviour should be investigated by the National Bar Council and other regulatory bodies. He needs to be asked to step aside and so should Zuma’s legal counsel on the basis of obstruction of justice.
Likewise, the self evident, despite his denials, spokesperson for the RET faction within the ANC, Carl Niehaus, should cease trying to convince South Africans that his criminally charged comrades are fully and completely innocent and should not be obliged to step aside. That is not what the constitution states and it merely makes provision for a charged person to be presumed innocent – not be innocent – in order to have a fair trial and to be proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt. To pretend that criminal charges against oneself have absolutely no consequences reflects a very low level of morality.
Magashule’s assertion that he was elected by branches and that only they can remove him is nonsense. The very same branches passed a resolution at the 54th ANC Congress to deal with criminally charged cadres of the ANC and that they should voluntarily step down. He should be bound by those resolutions.
Corruption, patronage and state capture, are not sine qua nons for racial redress or radical economic transformation and it is time that the South African public recognise these and other self serving hypocrites within the ANC and EFF for what they are and advise them to shut up!
David Gant, Kenilworth.