What you said: Zondo was right to criticise Sisulu

16 January 2022 - 14:00
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Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo lashed out at cabinet minister Lindiwe Sisulu following her criticism of the judiciary.
Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo lashed out at cabinet minister Lindiwe Sisulu following her criticism of the judiciary.
Image: KOPANO TK

Acting chief justice Raymond Zondo's rebuke of tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu sparked passionate debate this week, with TimesLIVE readers weighing in.

Sisulu drew widespread backlash after penning an opinion piece recently in which she took aim at the judiciary. In it, she questioned black judges, suggesting they are “mentally colonised Africans who have settled with the world view and mindset of those who have dispossessed their ancestors”.

“The most dangerous African today is the mentally colonised African. And when you put them in leadership positions or as interpreters of the law, they are worse than your oppressor. They have no African or Pan African-inspired ideological grounding. Some are confused by foreign belief systems.

“In America, these interpreters are called the House Negroes. It is what the father of black history Carter Woodson strenuously complained about in his famous book The Miseducation of the Negro.

Several organisations, including government, distanced themselves from her comments and criticised her.

Speaking on Wednesday, Zondo said Sisulu's piece was an insult to the entire judiciary and riddled with baseless accusations. He also called for action to be taken.

The EFF and its leaders were among those who slammed Zondo for his rebuke of Sisulu, telling the minister not to be bullied by “anyone on the payroll of CR17".

“If she has taken a political position, she must stand by it. Zondo might have taken Zuma to jail but will never tell us what to think and say. We are not scared of him and he must know that,” said leader Julius Malema.

TimesLIVE ran a poll asking readers if they thought Zondo was right to call out Sisulu.

Most (64%) said, as part of the judiciary, Zondo needed to speak out.

46% said he should not involve himself in politics.


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