Former Chief Justice Mogoeng apologises for Israel comments

JOHANNESBURG – Former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng has published an apology following comments of him supporting Israel in 2021.

Mogoeng made it clear on Thursday in a statement that he was apologizing because he was coerced.

“I, Mogoeng Mogoeng, the former Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa, hereby apologise unconditionally for becoming involved in political controversy through my utterances at the online seminar (webinar) hosted by the Jerusalem Post on 23 June 2020, in which I participated,” the statement read.

“The operative phrase here is ‘unless required by law.’ The Judicial Ethics Committee is a statutory body.

“Unless set aside, its orders are lawful and binding. And the rule of law is one of the foundational values of our democratic State.

“It demands of all, including the Chief Justice, to comply with all lawful orders however much we might disagree with them.

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“Individually and together with my judicial colleagues, I have over the years made orders and expected all, including Presidents, to comply with them and they did.

“I am now compelled by law – the order of the legally installed Appellate Body, the Judicial Conduct Committee, to issue my unconditional apologies on the prescribed apology. And because I am not above the law, I hereby apologise as ordered,” he said.

Mogoeng said South Africans and Africans in general have not yet severed diplomatic ties with the colonizers, but they have criticized Israel.

He made the remarks to South Africa’s chief rabbi Warren Goldstein during a webinar organised by Jerusalem Post.

“Did Israel take our land or the land of Africa, did Israel take our natural resources? We have to start from a position of principle here,” he said during the webinar.