Chiefs Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng has challenged South Africans to confront the issue of race relations saying it was “tearing us” apart.
Delivering the Griffith and Victoria Mxenge Memorial Lecture at the University of KwaZulu-Natal school of law on Thursday evening‚ Mogoeng said issues of land and economy continued to polarise the country saying they needed addressing and redressing.
“That land issue...that economy issue lead us to fight each other as South Africans. We have to criticise the government where we need to‚ and the corporates where need to‚ but what is it that we‚ as individuals are doing to make this country better?” he said.
Mogoeng threw down the gauntlet to corrupt and opportunistic tenderpreneurs saying “we dare not betray” the sacrifices of the likes of Mxenge.
“Have we resigned ourselves to greed? The course of the struggle was never about a few individuals getting rich but about the noble ideals of those who sacrificed all for us to enjoy this freedom‚” said Mogoeng.
Mogoeng said the situation calls for better understanding of each other and the commitment in acknowledging injustices of the past as enshrined in the Constitution’s preamble.
He said he never believed that races in South Africa could live in harmony.
“You know when then President FW de Klerk announced the unbanning of political organisations and the release of political prisoners I said ‘what is this man up to now?’ When Codesa talks were disrupted when some stormed the building‚ I said I told you so and when [Chris] Hani was murdered I knew that it would not work‚” he said.
However‚ he said through former President Nelson Mandela it all changed.
Mogoeng also came down hard on those lawyers who have fleeced ignorant victims of their rightful money.
He cited lawyers who work with the Road Accident Fund victims and beneficiaries as a prime example.
“What does it say about you when you take from the hopeless victims just because they know less. We have heard stories of victims being awarded R1-million but end up getting R10 000 and the attorney says ‘how much money have they ever touched anyway?’‚ and the R900 000-plus money goes to an attorney who was never injured.
“Griffith Mxenge could have led a good life and could have resigned himself to amassing as much wealth for himself and his family‚ but he chose to risk his life and he knew what had happened to others; the likes of Bram Fischer and Steve Biko. But nonetheless he dedicated his life to the struggle and paid the ultimate sacrifice‚” he said.
Both Griffith and Victoria Mxenge were assassinated by agents under the command of Vlakplaas leader Dirk Coetzee in the 1980s.
Race is tearing SA apart‚ says Chief Justice
Chiefs Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng has challenged South Africans to confront the issue of race relations saying it was “tearing us” apart.
Delivering the Griffith and Victoria Mxenge Memorial Lecture at the University of KwaZulu-Natal school of law on Thursday evening‚ Mogoeng said issues of land and economy continued to polarise the country saying they needed addressing and redressing.
“That land issue...that economy issue lead us to fight each other as South Africans. We have to criticise the government where we need to‚ and the corporates where need to‚ but what is it that we‚ as individuals are doing to make this country better?” he said.
Mogoeng threw down the gauntlet to corrupt and opportunistic tenderpreneurs saying “we dare not betray” the sacrifices of the likes of Mxenge.
“Have we resigned ourselves to greed? The course of the struggle was never about a few individuals getting rich but about the noble ideals of those who sacrificed all for us to enjoy this freedom‚” said Mogoeng.
Mogoeng said the situation calls for better understanding of each other and the commitment in acknowledging injustices of the past as enshrined in the Constitution’s preamble.
He said he never believed that races in South Africa could live in harmony.
“You know when then President FW de Klerk announced the unbanning of political organisations and the release of political prisoners I said ‘what is this man up to now?’ When Codesa talks were disrupted when some stormed the building‚ I said I told you so and when [Chris] Hani was murdered I knew that it would not work‚” he said.
However‚ he said through former President Nelson Mandela it all changed.
Mogoeng also came down hard on those lawyers who have fleeced ignorant victims of their rightful money.
He cited lawyers who work with the Road Accident Fund victims and beneficiaries as a prime example.
“What does it say about you when you take from the hopeless victims just because they know less. We have heard stories of victims being awarded R1-million but end up getting R10 000 and the attorney says ‘how much money have they ever touched anyway?’‚ and the R900 000-plus money goes to an attorney who was never injured.
“Griffith Mxenge could have led a good life and could have resigned himself to amassing as much wealth for himself and his family‚ but he chose to risk his life and he knew what had happened to others; the likes of Bram Fischer and Steve Biko. But nonetheless he dedicated his life to the struggle and paid the ultimate sacrifice‚” he said.
Both Griffith and Victoria Mxenge were assassinated by agents under the command of Vlakplaas leader Dirk Coetzee in the 1980s.
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