So Julius Malema is now a member of the Judicial Services Commission.
This means he will be able to pick judges for the courts of South Africa.
This appointment comes despite his indictment for corruption, money laundering and racketeering.
While the ANC is quite correct that Malema has not yet been found guilty in any court, he is still awaiting trial, which means the possibility is still present for him to be found guilty.
Never before in South Africa’s history have I ever been confronted with such a poorly considered decision. How do you make a person, currently facing serious criminal charges, a member of the JSC?
Simply stating that if found guilty, he can be asked to step down is not enough. Such an action has placed a serious question mark over the decision-making abilities of leaders.
This is like placing a (alleged) paedophile as a primary school principal and stating that if found guilty, he will be asked to step down. Why have him there in the first place if questions are already being asked regarding trustworthiness?
Surely the ANC should wait until a court declares Malema innocent, or not guilty, before appointing him to such a serious position?
Further to this, exactly what qualifies Malema to choose a judge? Does Malema understand criminal proceedings? Does he understand the principles of Dutch Roman law? If not, how can he accurately appoint a judge? On what will Malema form his opinions regarding the suitability of a candidate?
No, in short this appointment has cast serious doubt on the ability of many parliamentary members to lead South Africa properly.
Believe it or not, this is not actually Malema’s fault, nor is this an attack on Malema’s capabilities. I am sure he is quite capable – of something. But driving on a road does not an engineer make. Likewise, being a passenger on a plane does not mean you are a pilot. The list goes on.
People study to have qualifications, and for good reason. Ask any lawyer, in fact any law student, and they will tell you there is so much most people have no clue about regarding law.
Likewise for plumbing, electricians, accountants and even journalists. We study to learn skills. If you have not studied something, how will you understand what is going on in a given field?
So how will this impact on South Africa? I am unsure, but as I gaze into my crystal ball, I foresee a potential downgrading of investor confidence in our country. How could people want to invest in a country that makes such poor decisions? Why would you want to invest in a country where people are appointed to the JSC when they are still on trial facing criminal charges?
This decision does not bode well for the future of our country.
While the platinum sector is back at work, finally, experts are saying workers will take 12 years to recover the losses of the past several months. And this, as far as I understood it, applies to their personal welfare, not the bigger economic picture. Who knows what damage has been done to the mining sector of South Africa.
What is really scary is that Julius was calling for the strike to continue, just last week, and yet the same person is now on the panel to select judges for our courts!
I do not think Malema has the interests of the country at heart. I believe he may have the interest of individuals at heart, and may be pushing for more political power, but I do not believe he is thinking about the next 50 years for SA.
And that is also a concern.
I recall someone else who once advocated ‘sharing’, and promoted the economy to provide for the ordinary (working class) person. In fact, over time, this person succeeded in turning around an economy in recession and improved employment wholesale. Government projects provided employment to many, industry was revitalised, the military grew and their currency strengthened.
During this process, much was taken from a select group of people and ‘shared’ with the so-called native inhabitants. Eventually, this select group was forced out of their homes into ghettos and eventually gas chambers. Yes, I am speaking about Hitler, who made significant economic reforms to Germany in the 1930’s, yet plunged the world into war.
Be careful of the man who promises the world to those who have nothing. Be careful of the man who promotes giving the world to those who we perceive as nothing.
South Africa clearly has a long way to go.
@TheMadSub
