Mogoeng linked to politics on social media
After he was supposedly approached by a religious movement, the All African Alliance, the question is now whether former chief justice Mogoeng Mogoeng is going to jump into politics. Nobody knows.
The grouping’s secretary-general, Meshack Tebe, said it would not provide comment about Mogoeng.
“He is professional and an independent person. At his own time, he will speak for himself,” he said.
While Saturday Citizen was not able to get hold of Mogoeng, who has also so far made no public comment, a video which circulated on social media revealed a leader from the religious group saying: “I’m with our president, former chief justice Mogoeng Mogoeng and with our first lady Mrs Mogoeng Mogoeng. So I’m saying to all South Africans, come 2024, this is going to be our president, we are going to the promised land with this one.”
Political analyst André Duvenhage said South Africa was in the time of reconfiguration of the political spectrum, where the ANC was increasingly outdated as a group to lead SA. “That is the reality,” he said. “The levels of corruption are of such a high level in established parties, so South Africans are now looking for alternatives.”
Duvenhage said a number of small parties had plans and the balance of political forces was of such a nature even small parties could make a difference.
“It is a very difficult process but maybe the outcome can be a smaller party, which could have representatives in certain areas, but I do not see a political alternative to the three main current parties – the ANC, Democratic Alliance and the EFF,” he said.
Article 17 of the Judicial Code of Conduct states that a retired judge “may not enter into party politics”.
Political analyst Ralph Mathekga said: “Entering into politics is almost like going into unlimited battles, so I wonder what would this do to his career?”
“He could have been involved in other ways to bring about change, without necessarily entering into this.”
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) spokesperson Kate Bapela said the religious movement had neither registered as a political party, nor had it made an application.
However, Tebe said the party was not worried about registering with the IEC and the issue should not be discussed as it was not their “prerogative”.
“The IEC does not close its office even if we could register a day before the elections,” he said.
He said “when the time is right” the party would “be able to register with the IEC and contest national elections”.