South Africa chief justice under fire for remarks to ‘Post’

The African National Congress (ANC), South Africa’s governing political party, has called on the speaker of the parliament to censure Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng over his expression of support for Israel in a webinar hosted last week by The Jerusalem Post.

During the live webinar on Tuesday, Mogoeng lamented his country’s adoption of a lopsided attitude toward the Israel-Palestinian conflict and said it would have greater influence if it displayed a more balanced approach.

Mogoeng said his nation’s history of forgiveness and understanding should have informed its approach to peacemaking, adding that as a practicing Christian he believed that those who curse Israel will themselves be cursed. Mogoeng took pains to emphasize that the policy of the South African government was binding upon himself and that he was not seeking to reject it.

But, he said, as a citizen he was entitled to criticize laws and policies and suggest changes. South Africa Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein also participated in the Post’s webinar.

“As a citizen of our great country, we are denying ourselves a wonderful opportunity of being a game-changer in the Israeli-Palestinian situation,” said Mogoeng.

The comments stirred controversy in South Africa where the ANC – the party of President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa – issued a statement saying that Mogoeng had entered the arena of political commentary and could be vulnerable in adjudicating matters of human rights.

“It was rather unfortunate for the chief justice to state that the ‘South African government policy was binding upon himself and that he was not seeking to reject it,’ but then clearly and openly opposes it as a citizen,” ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe told News 24.

“The chief justice is indeed a citizen, but he is the primary protector of the constitution of SA and if the government was in violation of the Bill of Rights he and the bench must defend the constitution above all else and any other consideration,” Mabe added.

Pro-BDS organization #Africa4Palestine said it was going to submit a complaint with South Africa’s Judicial Service Commission against Mogoeng.