The Zapiro gang rape cartoon is probably as relevant today as it was when it was originally drawn, give or take a few characters. The other difference in the 2009 version is an element of date rape.
I say this because of the shenanigans around the "transformation" of the Judiciary currently being mooted by the ANC government and a good time to reflect and examine the motives of the ruling party in this regard.
Any person who doubts the desire of the ANC to control the judiciary, or at least have a pliant judiciary, has his or her head firmly planted in a very dark place, which I will not name.
People have short memories, and lest they are reminded they easily forget, especially about things unpleasant and threatening. Thinking back to around the ANC's Polokwane conference, the ANC, by mouths of Gwede Mantashe, Kgalema Mothlanthe and rabble rousers, Malema and Vavi, launched broadside attacks on the judiciary.
Justice Pius Langa, who had a brother killed in Zambia, alledgedly by ANC intelligence under the command of a certain J Zuma, and Justice Dikgang Moseneke, a PAC stalwart in his previous life, came in for particularly special vilification by ANC /Alliance leaders.
The judiciary was placed under a cloud of suspicion by branding it as "counter-revolutionary" along with opposition parties. Most of the mischief making against the judiciary was built around the Zuma corruption case, which as we all know, was not about Zuma, but rather around the corruption within the ANC top leaders.
It was during this time that Mantashe used the classic tactic and linked an anti-ANC judgment by a black judge to apartheid.
The ANC campaign against the judiciary took a further step when Zuma, now the likely President, had only the judiciary having the power to deny him the presidency not on board. This resulted in the president-in-waiting writing a letter, containing thinly veiled threats, in which he puts his "case", to the Judge President.
Undue pressure by the ANC finally resulted in the "Political Solution", invented with the assistance of the duplicitous Willem Heath, propagated by Vavi and culminating in the cowardly withdrawal of the Zuma Case by the NPA. During this time, Judge Hlophe allegedly tried to influence constitutional court judges to take a "Zuma" position in any Zuma corruption cases before them.
One of Zuma's most noticeable cabinet appointments was that of Jeff Radebe who, despite his hand in the majestic Eskom disaster and a disastrous record as Transport minister, somehow maintained Mbeki's confidence and that of his new master.
Radebe got to work quickly and he made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that the judiciary had to be transformed. Transformation, not at the bottom where criminals walk free, but at the top where it matters to the ANC. According to Radebe transformation as far as race and gender is concerned has been satisfactory, we must therefore assume the acceleration of transformation is in the field of alignment to the ruling party and pliancy with the wishes of the ANC.
No wonder Judge Hlophe, the pillar of integrity, made his speech on the transformation to and "Africanisation" of the justice system. It is also not surprising when a committee, headed by a fugitive from the USA courts, was formed to support the bid to get "The Slippery Hlope" elected as Judge President.
The alignment issue became even clearer with the appointment of new members, who are strongly ANC aligned, the JSC at the cost of respected and impartial members such as George Bizos. The new JSC quickly showed their colours by preparing the cover-up for their favourite son, John "Slippery" Hlophe, a process that started with postponements of the case followed by a loaded investigating committee and closed hearings.
Once again we hear the word "Political solution", this time in the context of the Hlophe case. Not to be outdone the President's office announced that he would appoint a new head of the NPA in place of Vusi Pikoli despite the pending court case.
Is he perhaps telling us that he (Zuma) is the law?
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Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyNews24 have been independently written by members of News24's community. The views of users published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.