Daughter of Africa is a proud ‘product Chatsworth’ brand

A COUPLE of weeks ago I was bored and surfing the channels and then stopped at ENCA's Judge For Yourself

, hosted by Judge Dennis Davis. His guests were recently appointed Co-ordinator for Organised Crime in SA and Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions in the NPA , Advocate Elaine Moonsamy and General Shadrack Sibiya from SAPS. The topic was about organised crime in SA and the challenges faced. In a 193 country survey , South Africa ranks 7th and 3rd in Africa , even ahead of notorious places like Nigeria and Senegal. SA has become a breeding ground and haven for organised crime. The Steinhoff saga is a typical example of organised crime.

First it was the Gold Mafia and now it's the Construction Mafia and Adv. Moonsamy is vocal about extortion at construction sites which is her top priority in the criminal market. Adv . Moonsamy is a hotbed of action with the legal strength and feline cunning of a mountain cat. This high-powered , panty-hosed empress of the Strategy Club is now embarking on a holistic approach. Adv. Moonsamy says conventional methods are not working , so they are going to resort to unconventional methods . The humble , former Chatsworth resident and Arena Park Secondary protege will no doubt come out "guns blazing" as Adv. Moonsamy rattles sabres.

I first saw Adv. Moonsamy in action - a sterling solo performance - sometime in 2009 at the Johannesburg High Court when Adv. Elaine Moonsamy was delivering her final summation in the State versus Jack Mogale trial. I had accompanied a journalist friend who was doing a court roundup and have followed her upward trajectory with much interest since then. Mogale was sentenced to 20 life sentences and 382 years for 16 murders

, 19 rapes and 9 kidnappings. Chatsworth's very own "Bandit Queen" had ensured that Mogale got the second highest sentence in South African judicial history. Just how many people know about this achievement?

Adv. Elaine Moonsamy has tediously trotted the courtroom circuit from Durban to Eastern Cape to Mbombela and has finally made Gauteng her El Dorado where she plys her trade without fear or favour. I feel justified in heaping welldeserved praise where it belongs. Adv. Moonsamy is no shrinking violet and don't be mislead by the calm exterior for behind it awaits a storm – a tsunami of legal prowess. Adv. Moonsamy is the mistress of nuance and inflection and could spot a lie or equivocation faster than an eagle spots a hare. Amid patriotic hoopla and palooza charm , Adv. Moonsamy's story is as pungent as Indian spice. It is strong and strikes a human chord rarely sounded. It is like the taste of oysters or fine caviar - unmistakeable and overwhelmingly superior.

We all know that when women participate in law enforcement , at all levels and in all roles. Law enforcement becomes more reflective of the society it serves. Whilst there will be no curry-favouring from Adv. Elaine Moonsamy , this daughter of the African soil will always be a premium product of the MADE IN CHATSWORTH brand. KEVIN GOVENDER | Umhlatuzana