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The SA government’s submissions to the International Court of Justice for a ruling regarding the Palestinian conflict demonstrate that it values the rule of law, power and supremacy of the courts, and their ability to limit wrongdoing.
Its well-organised, well-prepared and well-argued position demonstrates that it also knows that for the court to rule in its favour it needs to prepare and present with competence.
Sticking with international matters, the way Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir was whisked away to avoid his arrest in SA reveals that our government’s motives may be political as well as humanitarian. If only its recently revealed legal competence extended to local matters of domestic corruption, malfeasance, maladministration and incompetence, the latest example being statements by Fikile Mbalula regarding lying to parliament.
It is an open question as to why so little jail time has been served by those known to be complicit in crimes ranging from the arms deal to the litany documented by the Zondo state capture commission. \
The Multi-Party Charter For SA should pledge to support the renewal of the National Prosecuting Authority and Hawks (rebirth of the Scorpions, anyone?) with funds and a mandate to support cases ranging from the arms deal to the corrupt Hitachi-Chancellor House case, cases of parastatal theft and the loose ends that remain from the state capture commission.
Then there is the matter of local crime, and whether SA citizens receive justice when such a small fraction of violent crimes (including murder, rape and aggravated robbery) lead to convictions.
Greg Becker Cape Town
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: Extend legal skills to local matters
The SA government’s submissions to the International Court of Justice for a ruling regarding the Palestinian conflict demonstrate that it values the rule of law, power and supremacy of the courts, and their ability to limit wrongdoing.
Its well-organised, well-prepared and well-argued position demonstrates that it also knows that for the court to rule in its favour it needs to prepare and present with competence.
Sticking with international matters, the way Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir was whisked away to avoid his arrest in SA reveals that our government’s motives may be political as well as humanitarian. If only its recently revealed legal competence extended to local matters of domestic corruption, malfeasance, maladministration and incompetence, the latest example being statements by Fikile Mbalula regarding lying to parliament.
It is an open question as to why so little jail time has been served by those known to be complicit in crimes ranging from the arms deal to the litany documented by the Zondo state capture commission. \
The Multi-Party Charter For SA should pledge to support the renewal of the National Prosecuting Authority and Hawks (rebirth of the Scorpions, anyone?) with funds and a mandate to support cases ranging from the arms deal to the corrupt Hitachi-Chancellor House case, cases of parastatal theft and the loose ends that remain from the state capture commission.
Then there is the matter of local crime, and whether SA citizens receive justice when such a small fraction of violent crimes (including murder, rape and aggravated robbery) lead to convictions.
Greg Becker
Cape Town
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
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