THE attack on Judge Sisi Khampepe of the Constitutional Court at her home raises questions not only about the security of judges but about the security of the rule of law in this country.
Just how safe the rule of law is, when those meant to safeguard it - judges - are vulnerable to thugs, should worry all of us.
Two scumbags invited themselves into the judge's Randburg, Johannesburg, home on Monday morning and tied up members of the household.
They broke in through a window and helped themselves to jewellery, a laptop, cellphones and the family car. The car was recovered a few hours later in Tembisa in Ekhuruleni.
To many, this could be one of the all-too-familiar tales of crime in our society. Many would probably not feel bothered to raise a hoot because one of the elites has had a taste of what lesser mortals experience almost every day.
But the robbery came in the wake of an application by the Chief Justice to tighten security around judges of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court of Appeals and judge presidents.
The request was that judges be afforded static and in-transit security. In short, that they be afforded round-the-clock protection from the kinds of attack that Judge Khampepe and her family experienced.
It is not clear whether the Chief Justice's appeal has been heeded. It probably fell into a to-do list on some government functionary's tray, who probably doesn't see the urgency of the matter. We cannot rule out the possibility that Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa and acting police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi are too drawn into factional battles of the police that they forgot to check the in-trays wherein lies the Chief Justice's plea.
Yet every motorist on our roads can attest to the vagaries of the blue light brigade, who are given to rudely push law-abiding citizens off the way as they speed some self-important politician to a function.
The incident could well be purely criminal, with nothing to do with the judge's job. But it could, heaven forbid, also have been a well-orchestrated raid with much riding on it than matters criminal.
Whatever was the motive, one thing is clear: criminals have become very brazen.
Under such circumstances, the last thing we need is the ongoing circus in the criminal justice system.
Until this comes to a stop and the system is geared towards nailing thugs like those who attacked Judge Khampepe, we may have to kiss goodbye to the rule of law.
Goodbye to rule of law?
THE attack on Judge Sisi Khampepe of the Constitutional Court at her home raises questions not only about the security of judges but about the security of the rule of law in this country.
Just how safe the rule of law is, when those meant to safeguard it - judges - are vulnerable to thugs, should worry all of us.
Two scumbags invited themselves into the judge's Randburg, Johannesburg, home on Monday morning and tied up members of the household.
They broke in through a window and helped themselves to jewellery, a laptop, cellphones and the family car. The car was recovered a few hours later in Tembisa in Ekhuruleni.
To many, this could be one of the all-too-familiar tales of crime in our society. Many would probably not feel bothered to raise a hoot because one of the elites has had a taste of what lesser mortals experience almost every day.
But the robbery came in the wake of an application by the Chief Justice to tighten security around judges of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court of Appeals and judge presidents.
The request was that judges be afforded static and in-transit security. In short, that they be afforded round-the-clock protection from the kinds of attack that Judge Khampepe and her family experienced.
It is not clear whether the Chief Justice's appeal has been heeded. It probably fell into a to-do list on some government functionary's tray, who probably doesn't see the urgency of the matter. We cannot rule out the possibility that Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa and acting police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi are too drawn into factional battles of the police that they forgot to check the in-trays wherein lies the Chief Justice's plea.
Yet every motorist on our roads can attest to the vagaries of the blue light brigade, who are given to rudely push law-abiding citizens off the way as they speed some self-important politician to a function.
The incident could well be purely criminal, with nothing to do with the judge's job. But it could, heaven forbid, also have been a well-orchestrated raid with much riding on it than matters criminal.
Whatever was the motive, one thing is clear: criminals have become very brazen.
Under such circumstances, the last thing we need is the ongoing circus in the criminal justice system.
Until this comes to a stop and the system is geared towards nailing thugs like those who attacked Judge Khampepe, we may have to kiss goodbye to the rule of law.
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