Why Judge Michael Ramodibedi faces impeachment I
MOVE over Judge President John Hlophe; you’ve met your match. You probably thought there could be nothing like Hlophe again in your lifetime: a senior judge under investigation, impeachment a possibility, a series of distasteful court cases, the judge sounding off in...
Why Judge Michael Ramodibedi faces impeachment II
WHILE South Africans obsess over the Oscar Pistorius trial, a completely different kind of court case is riveting the politically savvy in neighbouring Swaziland and Lesotho. Their leading judge – Michael Ramodibedi is president of the appeal court in Lesotho and...
Much loved local community leader murdered
No-one could believe Monday’s news: police had found Ounooi Badenhorst, 77, murdered in her home in Smithfield. She had been a strong community leader who had headed the local residents’ association and she was much respected in the whole community. At lunchtime today...
Dear judge – why this highbrow language?
THE name of the case whetted my appetite: ‘Tasty Treats’. And judgment in this matter had been given by a relatively new judge of the Swaziland Supreme Court, Esther Ota. A good chance of finding some delicious morsel of jurisprudence I hoped, something that offered a...
Loan shark locust, fined R1-million, ignores order to shut down
WE had no warning when the locusts came: just a dark dust cloud that turned out not to be dust, and a rustling noise that grew louder and louder. They covered everything, the street and my garden, within seconds. The hair on your arms stands erect with horror as you...
Why Cape Times editor removed – Surve’s letter to staff
The executive chairman of Independent Media South Africa, Dr Iqbal Surve, has issued a year-end letter to staff. In it he explains why he has acted against the editor of the Cape Times, Alide Dasnois. She was removed from her job late last week, prompting intense...
SA President has power to confer SC status on advocates ConCourt rules today
Senior advocates may rest easy: the Constitutional Court has ruled that they wear their Silk status quite legitimately. Or at least, for the moment they may rest easy. For Justice Bess Nkabinde, writing on behalf of a unanimous court, made it plain that the only issue...
Investigate Zim torture, top court tells SAP
In a hugely important judgment for international human rights, the Supreme Court of Appeal has today ordered that the South African Police must investigation alleged systematic torture by Zimbabwe officials against political opponents in Harare. The court doesn’t tell...
First deafblind person to receive OBE is a South African priest
IN just a few hours a man who made news when he was barred from boarding a plane in South Africa, will be invested with the OBE at Windsor Castle. Behind the two events lies the same set of facts: Cyril Axelrod, a deaf and blind Catholic priest, travels...
Soldier, blinded by HIV-AIDS, forced to quit army without a hearing
LESOTHO has never been top of my list of countries with a sparkling human rights record. That’s despite its strong showing over corruption associated with the Katse Dam project. So I was delighted this week to find a new judgment in which the high court there, sitting...