The Presidency on Monday in a statement said it was “shock and outraged at the attack on Judge Ian Farlam…meted out by advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza SC”.

This followed Ntsebeza’s remarks at a third-year commemoration of the Marikana killings in Rustenburg a day earlier‚ in which he referred to the report compiled by Farlam as a “ what a disgrace”.

Ntsebeza represented the families of the victims at the public hearings.

The Presidency described Farlam as “an esteemed member of the judiciary who chaired the Marikana Commission of Inquiry” and went on to say that an “attack on a member of the judiciary‚ whether past or present‚ from a senior member of the legal profession who also sits on the Judicial Services Commission is shocking to say the least”.

“Throughout the proceedings before the Marikana Commission‚ advocate Ntsebeza was aware of the matters over which Judge Farlam had presided and had ample opportunity to raise whatever concerns he may have had with the learned judge‚” the statement said.

“To raise them now on the completion of the commission’s work evinces a lack of respect and a callous disregard for the decorum which is otherwise shown by all self-respecting members of the legal profession.”

Ntsebeza has been highly critical of the government reaction to the Marikana massacre and told eNCA last month that “the executive has reached a stage where they feel they don’t have to account to anyone but to their political party.

“The political parties themselves‚ the (African National Congress) and (South African Communist Party)‚ have begun to take a stance that says we are in charge‚” he told the broadcaster.

Ntsebeza has also instituted civil claims on behalf of the slaim and injured miners and their families.

Ntsebeza also made headlines in April when his laptop containing evidence relating to the commission was stolen‚ and later recovered.