Former chief justice Mogoeng Mogoeng SA’s next president? Not likely

Former chief justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa Mogoeng Mogoeng is expected to contest for the presidency in the 2024 elections.

The All African Alliance Movement, which launched earlier this year, announced on Friday that Mogoeng had accepted the nomination of president of the movement.

Speaking to the Sunday Tribune on Saturday, the movement’s secretary general, Bishop Mishark Tebe said the electorate was desperate for good leadership.

“We consulted extensively first to see what people on the ground wanted.” He said through their findings, they realised that people wanted morals, employment and land.

“People wanted a movement that they can be proud of. In other words, how can we do things that will take us back to 1994? We will remember that during the 1994 elections, everyone was excited and ready to vote, that is what people are looking for and also a leader of high calibre,” he said.

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However, according to the Judicial Code of Conduct, Mogoeng’s aspiration may be short-lived.

In a tweet, Public Interest SA founder Tebogo Khaas said the Judicial Code of Conduct indicates that a retired judge must not enter into party politics.

Khaas also wrote that a group of 1 600 African Religious Leaders have been meeting with 400 tribal chiefs for more than six months to discuss challenges that South Africans are facing under the African National Congress (ANC).

Khaas tweeted that it is alleged that an ANC delegation led by the ANC Chairperson Gwede Mantashe did not show interest in the subject and the party’s discussions collapsed having met at least three times.

“African leaders were demanding that the ANC approach President Ramaphosa to immediately resign and the Constitution of the Republic be amended so as to recognise the battle for the land to be given back to the owners under the Administration and Leadership of the Magoshi,” he wrote.

Khaas also shared his sentiments about Mogoeng aspirations of being the next president of the country.

“It’s one thing to be a moegoe but another to be a double moegoe. An “anointed” one nogal!”

Mogoeng is no stranger to controversy.

He came under severe criticism following his remarks during a webinar with The Jerusalem newspaper in June 2020 where he lamented the South African government’s policy regarding the Israel-Palestinian conflict and said that it would have greater influence if it displayed a more balanced approach.

Mogoeng was ordered to apologise after losing his appeal against a legal complaint filed by pro-Palestine group Africa4Palestine and others.

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