Retired deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke says the quest to empower the masses has failed.
Moseneke was speaking at a South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) fundraising event in Killarney, Johannesburg, on Friday.
“I conclude with a heavy heart that the revolution has failed. The high political and social ideals of those of us who were part of our glorious struggle have by and large come to nought. We all knew that we could not change the trajectory of inequality and poverty without a competent developmental state. We paid continuous lip service to the kind of state and governance we deserved and did little or nothing about it. Look at us now.
“We have seemingly emerged from ghastly revelations of state capture. But think again. As I read what you journalists write often, virtually every other state or provincial department is a site of pillaging, corruption and crime against our people. Every other municipality faces severe inability to perform its most basic statutory obligations. It cannot be that post-state capture revelations of misgovernance ... abound. Our circumstances of governance appear truly dire.
“It seems plain that journalists will have to continue to do their damnedest to investigate and inform of these high levels of misgovernance that seem to be accompanied by lack of care and empathy by public leaders. I do not mean the empathy of politicians trotting out before cameras when they visit families of victims of this unending avalanche of violent crimes in our society.”
Moseneke was the keynote speaker at the glamorous gala dinner attended by the who’s who of the media industry. Sponsorship packages ranged from R15,000 to R400,000, the room was filled by business people from companies who bought tables in pursuit of protecting media freedom.
“Our ruling elite is now factionalised. Power contests are real and feverish. Disturbingly, journalists appear to be factional too. The kind of angry words hurled from one media house to another is truly disturbing. Reads from certain stables have predictable villains and heroes. Particularly, after state capture, in a fractured political space journalists would do well to practice their craft within ethical limits even in the face of insults or criticism from social media,” he said speaking of the role of the media in a democracy.
Moseneke said the judiciary has been largely beneficial to democracy. “I would be surprised if everyone agreed with every decision of our courts. As we speak our courts carry a heavy burden of caseloads. Nearly all political, economic, and social contests end up with judges. And yet judges must endure the derision and unwarranted criticism of those who use the courts most. It is not an exaggeration that without an efficient, effective and truly independent judiciary we would all enter into the dark ages of wanton destruction and misrule.
“Having served faithfully for no less that 15 years at a high echelon of our judiciary, I pray and plead that we realise that it is no option to denigrate and destroy the judiciary as we suggest that it is captured and working at the behest of political or other masters. In turn our judges must maintain the highest judicial values and ethics, maintain the requisite industry and remain faithful to our constitution and the rule of law and to our democracy display restraint. This democratic place and no democratic place can function without an independent, competent, and fearless judiciary.
“A small prosperous black middle class, as someone recently argued, is not and cannot be the mark of what we set about to create a new inclusive and equitable society. The vast majority of the masses of this land are in desperate circumstances ... ” he said.
Sbu Ngalwa, Sanef’s chairperson, said: “Journalists continue to do one of the most difficult jobs across most professions. We will continue to recognise current and past journalists. This dinner is key as it calls on us not to forget where we come from, and equally guard our future where media freedom will be enshrined, and we are afforded the space and respect to do our work.
“Our constitutional democracy is stronger with a critical media, and as South Africa’s journalists, we have to always remember the huge responsibility placed on our shoulders by the citizenry.”
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Journalists must do their damnedest to investigate misgovernance that has failed the masses: Moseneke
However, in doing so, they must beware of becoming factionalised like South Africa's ruling elite
Image: Sanef
Retired deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke says the quest to empower the masses has failed.
Moseneke was speaking at a South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) fundraising event in Killarney, Johannesburg, on Friday.
“I conclude with a heavy heart that the revolution has failed. The high political and social ideals of those of us who were part of our glorious struggle have by and large come to nought. We all knew that we could not change the trajectory of inequality and poverty without a competent developmental state. We paid continuous lip service to the kind of state and governance we deserved and did little or nothing about it. Look at us now.
“We have seemingly emerged from ghastly revelations of state capture. But think again. As I read what you journalists write often, virtually every other state or provincial department is a site of pillaging, corruption and crime against our people. Every other municipality faces severe inability to perform its most basic statutory obligations. It cannot be that post-state capture revelations of misgovernance ... abound. Our circumstances of governance appear truly dire.
“It seems plain that journalists will have to continue to do their damnedest to investigate and inform of these high levels of misgovernance that seem to be accompanied by lack of care and empathy by public leaders. I do not mean the empathy of politicians trotting out before cameras when they visit families of victims of this unending avalanche of violent crimes in our society.”
Moseneke was the keynote speaker at the glamorous gala dinner attended by the who’s who of the media industry. Sponsorship packages ranged from R15,000 to R400,000, the room was filled by business people from companies who bought tables in pursuit of protecting media freedom.
“Our ruling elite is now factionalised. Power contests are real and feverish. Disturbingly, journalists appear to be factional too. The kind of angry words hurled from one media house to another is truly disturbing. Reads from certain stables have predictable villains and heroes. Particularly, after state capture, in a fractured political space journalists would do well to practice their craft within ethical limits even in the face of insults or criticism from social media,” he said speaking of the role of the media in a democracy.
Moseneke said the judiciary has been largely beneficial to democracy. “I would be surprised if everyone agreed with every decision of our courts. As we speak our courts carry a heavy burden of caseloads. Nearly all political, economic, and social contests end up with judges. And yet judges must endure the derision and unwarranted criticism of those who use the courts most. It is not an exaggeration that without an efficient, effective and truly independent judiciary we would all enter into the dark ages of wanton destruction and misrule.
“Having served faithfully for no less that 15 years at a high echelon of our judiciary, I pray and plead that we realise that it is no option to denigrate and destroy the judiciary as we suggest that it is captured and working at the behest of political or other masters. In turn our judges must maintain the highest judicial values and ethics, maintain the requisite industry and remain faithful to our constitution and the rule of law and to our democracy display restraint. This democratic place and no democratic place can function without an independent, competent, and fearless judiciary.
“A small prosperous black middle class, as someone recently argued, is not and cannot be the mark of what we set about to create a new inclusive and equitable society. The vast majority of the masses of this land are in desperate circumstances ... ” he said.
Sbu Ngalwa, Sanef’s chairperson, said: “Journalists continue to do one of the most difficult jobs across most professions. We will continue to recognise current and past journalists. This dinner is key as it calls on us not to forget where we come from, and equally guard our future where media freedom will be enshrined, and we are afforded the space and respect to do our work.
“Our constitutional democracy is stronger with a critical media, and as South Africa’s journalists, we have to always remember the huge responsibility placed on our shoulders by the citizenry.”
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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