EBRAHIM HARVEY | Why chief justice Mogoeng was out of line on Covid-19 vaccine

Health advocacy group, African Alliance, has recently lodged a formal complaint against chief justice, Moegeng Moegeng, over comments he made in December at the Tembisa hospital about vaccines to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. There can be little or no doubt that Moegeng was out of line in several key respects in what he quite forcefully said in a prayer service at the hospital, contrary to his attempts to play down and in fact rationalise those comments.    

At a time when the second wave of Covid-19 is wreaking unprecedented havoc, death and destruction across the country and the world, it was the worst moment to recklessly and cynically question, and especially refute, the efficacy of vaccines, and do so on the eve of their entry into and use in SA.

He spoke brazenly against “vaccines meant to infuse triple six in the lives of people, meant to corrupt their DNA. I lock out any vaccines that is not of you. If there be any vaccines meant to corrupt their DNA, any such vaccine, Lord God almighty, may it be destroyed by fire in the name of Jesus.” What would such advice from the chief justice say to ordinary people and how can any vaccine be meant to corrupt a sick person’s DNA? 

Furthermore, against the backdrop of reckless and suicidal behaviour by many in the country ignoring regulations to contain the virus, the last thing we need are dangerously irresponsible and cynical utterances from Mogoeng. We live in a secular state, with the blessings of a constitution which is supposed to be the highest law in the land. Ironically, he has, I argue, trampled on the constitution and needs to answer for such.

His unapologetic, obdurate and defiant tone after his speech does not augur well for this already fragile constitutional democracy.

On whose behalf was he speaking? To use his office for an ulterior and inappropriate religious purpose is reprehensible. 

His remarks spring from conspiracy-inspired, anti-scientific mumbo-jumbo which purports to speak with authority about vaccines on behalf of Christianity and Christians. But he does not and cannot represent or speak on behalf of Christians in any matter. Christians are not homogeneous and hold vastly different views on a whole range of issues.

No, his job is mainly to uphold, promote and defend the secular state on which our constitutional democracy is based. He has abused the tragedy of Covid-19 to promote his warped ideas and beliefs about vaccines, using Christianity to rationalise them.

However, given the vast majority of Covid-19 infections and deaths have been among black people, it is most unfortunate for a black leader, who is also our chief justice, to inject scepticism and cynicism towards vaccines in the midst of arguably the most devastating pandemic we’ve ever had. It’s tragic and unacceptable.

There has been a clear and troubling lurch by Mogoeng to right-wing, reactionary politics recently. Not long ago he upset many people with his equally reckless praise of Israel. There, too, he betrayed the mandate of his office and, incredibly, lambasted the government’s support for Palestinians. Once again, he abused his office for religious purposes. 

However, there is more to the madness of what he did. To spew such cynicism towards medical science at a public hospital, an institution meant to embody and embrace it, only served to amplify and intensify the evidently inappropriate and incorrect remarks he made.       

We need to take strong exception to how Mogoeng has had the temerity to not only advocate his barely disguised, cynical anti-vaccine views in the midst of a pandemic which cries out for a vaccine, but thereafter have the audacity to defend them on the grounds of a morbidly inappropriate and misplaced right to freedom of speech.

Besides, it is likely his views about vaccines might influence many people to avoid or be sceptical of them. Mogoeng has done enough harm to the judiciary and our constitution to be removed from his post, even before the end of his term. 

Ebrahim Harvey is a political writer and author whose new book on race and class in post-apartheid SA will be released round about March.