He's President of the Country....Get it??. What does Zweli or Themba have to do with anything??

YES , THEMBA SIPHO , WHO EVER ,WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE PRESIDENT HERE, REPRESENTING U AS THE HEAD OF THE STATE NOT YO THEMBA ,SIPHO. HAVE U ASKED YO SELF Y THE PRESIDENT HAS BODYGUARDS. AN ASSIGNMENT FOR U, REMEMBER THE TOY GUN U BOUGHT FOR YO SON, NO PROBLEM IF U POINT IT TO YO SON , BUT TRY THAT TO DO THAT ON A CASH TRANSIT VAN , U'LL LEARN SOMETHING AFTER THAT.

'they' refers to the courts?

Well given the 'seriousness' of the offence, we can be glad the dockets were well looked after, and the speed with which it was handled is appropriate, we cant have serial drinks spillers on the loose you know :) ..........Just imagine what would of happened if the liquid had of landed on him................The damage to the Armani would of been irreparable.

@Buddi, Skhokho21 gave you an example of a case that was handled quicker than this one. The guy that killed Mrs Dewani was arrested, charged, prosecuted and sentenced within 3 weeks of her death.

This case has been going on since the beginning of July 2011.

@PSG
And .... your point being? How can you compare the two? In any case the guy in the Dewani case confessed, and plea bargained.

@Buddi, the point being the speed with which the case was handled. You asked if this case was fast tracked coz he's the President or what. There have been other cases where, people that committed crimes were prosecuted in very short periods of time as compared to this case.

The other case that comes to mind is the arson case in KZN of the ANC offices this year. The person responsible for setting them on fire was also arrested, charged, prosecuted and sentenced within a month.

@ PSG
"The other case that comes to mind is the arson case in KZN of the ANC offices this year. The person responsible for setting them on fire was also arrested, charged, prosecuted and sentenced within a month. "

Bad example.

@Redcoat, Queen's Soldier "said tongue in cheek" ha ha ha!!!

It might be a bad example coz it's a political party, fact of the matter here is that the case went through quicker than the President's case.

Buddi was implying that coz this case involved the President that's why it went through our justice system quicker. All I was doing was merely pointing out that there have been other cases that went through our justice system quicker.

@PSG

@PSG
Maybe I'll get it right second time around.
You have named a few cases that have been handled quickly, but what about the thousands that don't? Where dockets are lost (or sold); where there is no translator, where the magistrate/prosecutor/scribe is ill/on holiday/just didn't feel like pitching up; where children are involved and have to face their abuser.

@Buddi, Now we are in agreement on what you are saying compared to your earlier post which in my view implied that this case went through our justice system quicker merely on the basis that it involved the President.

Oh phoooey! I followed the case and I don't think there was ANY hard evidence! A very drunk man lurches to the edge of a balcony and spills a drink. Didn't even hit Our Esteemed Leader so was this evil villain just too cross-eyed to aim properly or... did he simply spill a drink? I confess, I have also spilled the odd drink in my life. Was there video evidence or just the eagle-eyed bodyguard who was looking up to see if there were any imperialist patriot missiles heading OEL's way. Or did he simple see the splash and put two and two together?

Seriously, JZ deserves respect? A serial philanderer (amongst other things)? Sorry, respect is earned!

But a few careers may have been made by this epic trial! A magistrate that may now be the next Chief Justice after Zuma's current lapdog? A bodyguard who could set his sights on Chief of Police?

@skhokho21
Democratically elected president my foot. He was elected as president of the anc by a select few who threatened to kill for Zuma, made his corruption charges go away, and who knew that they would be 'rewarded'.
He was not democratically elected by the majority of SA people.

@buddi,

your hatred of the man aside, JZ is a democratically elected president of SA. He was elected by the majority within the ANC, and parliament. This was doen democratically? Democracy is not just about one person one vote, but about institutions as well. In democracy, we set up institutions and empower those institutions to take decisons on our behalf.

I wonder which majority you are talking about, because the majority of South Africans voted for the ANC. We all know that outside the ANC there is no majority, politically speaking.

@bottom power
You seem to know me well by PRESUMING that I hate the president! I don't hate him. This is far too strong an emotion for someone I don't know.
Now if you had said that I don't RESPECT him, you would have been right. His morals and ethics leave a lot to be desired.

@buddi,
Point taken. However, the crux of my contest relates to your assertion that JZ is not a democratically elected president by south africans. This is far from the truth.

What is it that people nowadays seem to think that one deserves respect merely because of the title they happen to hold? I would agree that the position of President of South Africa could command respect but I am afraid that the incumbent in that role doees not automatically receive or should even expect respect. Respect is something that is earned, and is generally earned over a long period of time. And I am afraid that the current incumbent has done nothing in my eyes (and I am sure those of many others) to be treated with anything other than disdain.

This entire case has just been a result of a tinpot wannabe dictator trying to flex some withered muscles and make himself feel as though he is someone important.

Really important people, really respected people, people with a healthy sense of self esteem would have shrugged this off and moved on with their lives.

But in the good old RSA we have spent millions of rands of taxpayers money for some poor fool to pay a fine of R8000 or sit for 4 months - with half suspended. It doesn't make sense to me. But then I think that i am lucky to have at least half a brain.

Ooooh, Surely let"s all pour drinks on everyone we do not reapect, that makes a lot of sense...Over the years I've had to learn that barbarism knocks to the doors of those that we call elite and educated. All the degrees and posh living does not protect you from it. People should be ashamed of their utterences and discriminatory remarks, when will we ever look beyond this

This person deserves a harsher sentence, this is the president of the country we are talking about. He should try spilling one on Obama and he'll know who his mother is.

spain

You're right !.... He should have received a gold medal at least !

@spain
1. You cannot write about Obama and Zuma in the same sentence - no comparison.
2. Obama would most probably have laughed it off and left it at an apology.

Hahahaha! I loke that!

How, may I ask, do you "shield" someone from a vicious and unprovoked attack by alcohol (the analogy of the woman doesn't quite hold as it was from a balcony, ie above)? Did he throw himself on top of JZ? Draw and open his special issue ultra quick umbrella from a shoulder holster? Get real. Peense was drunk (as is a large part of SA on any given day) and he spilt a drink!

@Kambula, when a woman throws a drink at you, she throws it at your face while sitting across the table from you. she doesn't have to throw "herself" on you, just the drink. if you read the reports of the incident, you would know how the bodyguard shielded Zuma. I thought you were commenting because you were aware of the details of the story.

Read today's Star you idiot. He was on a balcony looking down and "spilt" the drink. It is not the same as"the way a woman does (of) you..."! I assume you go to lots of movies - I personally have never seen a woman throw a drink at anyone but maybe I move in civilised circles. Let's not avoid the issue - this was a kangaroo court with no proof, no sign of motive, just a stupid and over-eager bodyguard (the kind who jumps red lights and puts kids into coma, shoots at cars if they don't drive into a ditch, etc) and a magistrate who went with her political views to curry favour rather than work within the law. If Peense appealed I have not the slightest doubt he would succeed when the facts are given to a higher court.

Same procedure would have to be followed, this was seen as an attack on the Pres, regardless of what was thrown. Even if he had thrown a shoe!

Sorry, got the name wrong. Meant the guy who sentenced Peense.

I do agree with you on this, the office of the president should be respected in a democracy.

If we all agree that the justice system is infallible, then he is guilty as charged, and the punishment just.

Im pretty certain none of us commenting here was witness to the incedent and therefor we make assumptions as to what happened based on the media's reporting.

Do we all agree that the justice system is impartial and always correct?

''''''''I believe our justice system is just''''''''

====================================

Sure....just R 8000

SuiGeneris
As far as I am concerned this has nothing to do with Jacob Zuma. It has everything to do with the President. My opinion of Jacob Zuma is well documented. In this case the guy threw a drink at the President. This shows no respect whatsoever. In this case it was only a drink but it could have been acid or any other dangerous substance. Nowhere in the world will this behaviour be tolerated. You must be careful that your intense dislike of Jacob Zuma do not interfere with your common sense.

SuiGeneris
You know you can interpret this thing many different ways. I think Peense was full of bravado and wanted to show off in front of his friends. It turned out that this was a mistake and now he must pay the price for his stupidity. Half of the 8000 is suspended for three years. So I honestly think 4000 penalty is not so bad for such a stupid thing that he did. Actually I do not even know why we waste our time commenting here as in the scheme of things this is a non entity.

I suggest you check the records of most ANC parliamentarians - it appears a criminal conviction is a criterion for suitability

@Vatiekakie, Very True