Prominent advocates in defence of Dali Mpofu
Twenty of South Africa’s prominent advocates have come out in defence of Advocate Dali Mpofu SC, saying he is under attack because of his race.
This is in reply to an opinion piece written by News24 Editor-in-Chief, Adriaan Basson, in which he criticised Mpofu for his conduct during last week’s public sitting of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
Mpofu is a Commissioner of the JSC and was part of the panel that interviewed the four judges on the shortlist for the post of Chief Justice.
Basson referred to Mpofu as a “nincompoop” and “scoundrel”.
On Tuesday, the lawyers penned a letter in which they accuse Basson and other like-minded people of reserving their attacks only for African professionals.
The advocates says they have been left disappointed with the choice of language Basson used.
“If Basson is so committed to polite language as he claims, his point and even criticism of the process or Mpofu and Malema could be done without resorting to insults.
“The term nincompoop is drawn from the latin phrase “non-compos mentis”, which means a person not of right mind. We find these references hurtful, demeaning and unnecessary.
We note the undertones in his attack and find it an outrage and in his desire to differ with Mpofu SC, he resorts to gratuitous insults and slurs, whose roots are the colonial racist heritage and whose motives were to plunder, to exploit, to maim, to control and to colonize. He naturally sees Mpofu, the way the colonial forefathers viewed an African person: an immoral, depraved and irrational being, whose race is so inferior it deserves the master’s sharp tongue and reprimand,”said the statement.
The lawyers who signed the statement include Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza SC, Nomgcobo Jiba, Menzi Simelane, Muzi Sikhakhane SC, Fana Nalane SC, Thabani Masuku SC, Elizabeth Baloyi-Mere SC and Mahlape Sello SC.
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