Senzo judge withdraws demeaning 'black lawyers' comments
Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng who is presiding over the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial has apologized and withdrawn comments that he made about black lawyers in court this week.
On Wednesday, he slammed Thulani Mngomezulu for his failure to appear in court and alert the court about his absence beforehand. Mngomezulu is representing the first accused Muzi Sibiya.
“Is this how lawyers, or maybe I should just tell the truth is this how black lawyers behave, some of them maybe I should qualify that”, said Mokgoatlheng.
However, before proceedings started today, Mokgoatlheng acknowledged his comments were ill-advised.
"I admit that my comments could be interpreted as ill-advised, offensive and ill-considered. And if that's the perception of the accused and their representatives and persons outside , I want to state that I withdraw the comments which I made".
The Black Lawyers Association (BLA) meanwhile wants a meeting with Mokgoatlheng to understand he made the comments against black lawyers.
The former Bafana Bafana captain was shot and killed in Vosloorus in 2014.
The trial continues in the Pretoria High Court.
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