I can’t be bought
Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng turned down a R600 million offer of help to modernise the country’s judicial system because ‘that’s how capture happens’ he revealed yesterday.
‘I rejected it with the necessary contempt because that’s how capture happens.’
Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng turned down a R600 million offer of help to modernise the country’s judicial system because “that’s how capture happens”.
He disclosed this yesterday when presenting the annual judicial report.
“I may have mentioned to some that I was approached by somebody, offering R600 million so that we can modernise, but I know that person, I know that institution, I rejected it with the necessary contempt because that’s how capture happens.
“We don’t want to be funded in the middle of the night, however people may posture as benevolent givers of assistance,” he said.
Which person or institution offered him the large sum is anyone’s guess, as Mogoeng didn’t spill the beans.
Allegations of corruption in the judiciary formed part of Mogoeng’s address. He said allegations had been made, but it is the task of the police to probe and “shed light on the faces of those in the shadows”.
“There is a campaign to delegitimise the judiciary, to make sure when there is a judgment against [certain people or political parties], they can delegitimise the outcome,” he said.
Mogoeng said those with evidence of judges implicated in corruption must come forward and give information to the police or the media.
The chief justice acknowledged that people within the judiciary had been accused of corruption, and said the Hawks had now been instructed to deal with this.
The judiciary had “never avoided holding their own accountable” when accusations of misconduct had arisen, he said.
Mogoeng pleaded with the public to oust rotten judges, saying: “If there are rotten apples in our midst, they must be cast out in order to save the rest.”
Speaking about a tech update for the judicial system, he said it was high time for it be modernised to allow all access to it.
Plans for the modernisation include electronic filing and simplification of the judiciary’s administration, as well as allowing people to use smartphones and iPads to obtain information about what is happening in any of South Africa’s courts at any given time, Mogoeng said.
“We have done a lot of work to develop a court automatisation system, based on what we have seen in the US, China and other jurisdictions.”
Mogoeng did admit lack of funding was a problem, saying at times the courts “are not provided with library material, computers to modernise courts”.
“Funding has been a major frustration, but Judge President [Dunstan] Mlambo and other colleagues in our modernisation committee will tell you: good progress has been made.”
According to Mogoeng, “a system that deals with case lines is now in place” and a pilot project is under way in Gauteng courts under the supervision of Mlambo.