Ngoepe appointed to press council
2013-01-30 21:10
Johannesburg - Retired Gauteng Judge President Bernard
Ngoepe will chair the Panel of Adjudicators of the Press Council of SA, it
announced on Wednesday.
Retired judge Phillip Levinsohn, from the High Court in
Johannesburg, was appointed to chair the Press Council.
"The appointments announced by the panel follow an
extensive two years' review of the Press Council, done by the council itself
and by the Press Freedom Commission, created by Print Media SA and the SA
National Editors Forum," it said in a statement.
"The review led to a revamped council with a new
constitution, complaints procedures and press code."
Retired Constitutional Court judge Yvonne Mokgoro, chairperson
of the Appointments Panel of the council, made the appointments, which take
effect from 1 February.
In January 2012, Ngoepe was vocal in opposing the draft
regulations to force judges to declare their financial interests.
In 2009, Ngoepe was part of the subcommittee appointed to
decide whether the Judicial Service Commission would relaunch a formal
misconduct inquiry against Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe, for
allegedly making an inappropriate approach regarding a judgment on President
Jacob Zuma, before he became the president.
Axed NPA boss, Vusi Pikoli, filed court papers to prevent
the appointment of a permanent successor in the North Gauteng High Court in
Johannesburg before Ngoepe, in 2009.
He also formed part of the three judges who decided on
the ANC's application for leave to appeal a court ruling that Cope could use
the name Congress of the People in 2008.
In 2008, Ngoepe decided that Clive Derby-Lewis, the
murderer of Chris Hani, would have his parole hearing before a full bench of
high court judges because of legislative changes and public interest in the
case.
Appointments made
In addition to Ngoepe's appointment to the Panel of
Adjudicators, the public representatives include Lindsay Clowes, Simphiwe
Sesanti, Neville Woudberg, Phillip van der Merwe, Peter Mann, Brian Gibson,
Carol Mohlala, and Ntsikelelo Sandi.
Susan Smuts, Henry Jeffries, Sanglay Mahmood, Fanie
Groenewald, Franz Kruger and Nic Dawes would join as press representatives.
Members of the new council in addition to Levinsohn are Dr
Pieter Coetzee, Mike Lenaghan, Judge Ralph Zulman, formerly of the Supreme
Court of Appeal, Prince Mkhonza, Joe Seremane and Huida Shenker as public
representatives.
Media representatives are Raymond Louw, Amina Frense,
Louise Vale, Graeme Campbell, Mondli Makhanya and Zelda Jongbloed.
Deputy Press Ombudsman Johan Retief takes over as ombudsman
after outgoing ombudsman Joe Thloloe was appointed as Director in the Press
Council.
The council also created the Public Advocate position and
appointed Lateefa Mobara, to receive all complaints and to "champion the
cause of complaints throughout the adjudication process".
The appointment of the judges was made after
consultations with Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, the council said.
"All the [other] positions for public
representatives were widely advertised and the applicants who were shortlisted
were interviewed by the panel," it said.
Members of the panel included Raymond Louw and Mahmood
Sanglay as press representatives and Clyde Broster and Ina du Bruyn as public
representatives.
- SAPA
