‘I’m so ready for this fight’, says Dali Mpofu after Zondo condemns his ‘shut up’ rant

The response by deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo to advocate Dali Mpofu’s “shut up” rant has seemingly triggered a response from the lawyer, who said on Thursday he is “so ready for this fight”.

“After 369 years we have run out of other cheeks to turn. Racism and its apologists must and will fall. Let’s get it on,” he tweeted.

Zondo, who is chairperson of the state capture inquiry, said on Thursday Mpofu’s conduct was unacceptable and he showed disrespect to some people in the inquiry and himself as the chairperson.

Mpofu represented former SA Revenue Service (Sars) boss Tom Moyane during the cross-examination of public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan at the inquiry on Wednesday.

In 2018, the minister accused Moyane of wanting to advance state capture at Sars.

Gordhan’s counsel, advocate Michelle le Roux, asked whether the minister wanted to respond to allegations of racism made by Moyane and his legal team. Mpofu objected but was interrupted by Le Roux while he was talking.

He told her to “shut up when I’m speaking”. Gordhan exclaimed, to which Mpofu responded: “You too, Mr Gordhan.” 

The EFF released a statement on Thursday accusing Zondo of failing to protect Mpofu, the party’s former national chairperson.

“It is the duty of all blacks and African lawyers never to accept condescending treatment in any commission or court of law.

“If judges who preside over hearings will not be sensitised to the historically proven fact that Africans get undermined by other racial groups as a matter of normalised practice, then in the name of the right to dignity, African lawyers must defend themselves,” the party said.