Quotes of the week

2005-06-03 12:35

Cape Town - A selection of quotes of southern African interest that appeared in the media in the last week.

"We've got to act with firmness against anybody accused of wrongdoing, particularly public officials." - African National Congress secretary-general Kgalema Motlanthe.

"No matter what the final outcome, the judgment so far leaves little doubt that Zuma cannot be considered a fit and proper person to serve in any capacity, least of all as this country's deputy president." - Public Service Accountability Monitor director Colm Allan.

"The case is convincing and really overwhelming." - Durban High Court judge Hillary Squires' verdict on evidence of what the state claimed was a "generally corrupt" relationship between Deputy President Jacob Zuma and fraud and corruption accused Schabir Shaik.

"We're hoping his voice holds up." - Squires' secretary Margaret Parker as the judge gathered his energies to deliver the 165-page judgment.

"It's likely to be dull and boring, so if anyone wants to leave, they may do so." - Squires' friendly warning as he started reading the judgment.

"I used to be in the darkness but now I am in the light, and I will be persistent with my studies because I want to know more." - Enica Masha who has finally learnt to read and write at the age of 78. She and her female peers were kept out of school in case they ran away with boys, she said.

"Our major worry is what have we not done which drives people to such actions." - ANC secretary-general Kgalema Motlanthe on the ongoing urban delivery protests.

"If you want to go into the arena and dirty your hands and fight, then you cannot come to a court of law when you get a response in kind." - Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza arguing that the Treatment Action Campaign can not ask for protection against defamation when it has itself labelled cabinet ministers murderers.

"Maybe someone can stand up and function if they have antiretrovirals. With nutrition they are functional and there is no information that it has side effects." - Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang on why she never talks publicly about the benefits of antiretroviral drugs.

"The question must arise: why do we celebrate a butcher? This place has got a name; it's called iRhini. But we celebrate a butcher!" - President Thabo Mbeki commenting on the fact that Grahamstown is named after colonial-era soldier Colonel John Graham.

"I don't know what to make of it. I'm just astounded that it should come to this in this holiest of holies." - Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi after discovering a turd under his seat in the National Assembly. A police sniffer dog, rather than a political opponent, was later identified as the culprit.

"I think every minister has his or her choice to make. My children went to public schools and I had no difficulty with it." - Deputy Education Minister Enver Surty on why government ministers - including Education Minister Naledi Pandor - send their children to private rather than public schools.

"Clearly there is no one definition of what institutional and substantive independence of the judiciary means." - Deputy Chief Justice designate Dikgang Moseneke, expanding on his assertion that judicial independence is "uncompromisable".

"You want judges to clock in, it's insane - I regard that as a damn impertinence." - Cape High Court judge Dennis Davis, condemning government plans to pass legislation on working hours for judges.

"Those who feel they don't want to go or have no place to go, then please stay." - Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour saying prisoners eligible for release under the government's amnesty for petty criminals could ask to stay in prison if they felt they were not ready to be freed.

"I really think freedom of expression is important. South Africans need to be able to laugh at themselves." - Democratic Alliance MP Sandra Botha, who wore a "Black Labour - White Guilt" T-shirt while chairing a session of the National Assembly after the Constitutional Court threw out a SABMiller bid to bar sales of the shirt.

"The advert doesn't seem to tie up with a radio station promotion." - Clive Human, of Standing Together to Oppose Pornography, condemning a Good Hope FM television advertisement showing blindfolded "slave" women dressed in bikinis rowing a boat.

"We realise what has been going on hasn't been good for the game, and that it should have been sorted out earlier, but all I can say is 'Sorry, South Africa'." - SA Rugby Union boss Brian van Rooyen after a kiss-and-make-up session with fellow administrators.

"I'm done with rugby. I want to go back to my life with my family and carry on with my normal job." - SA Rugby Union board chairperson Theunie Lategan, bowing out.

- SAPA