Etcetera II
Monday, March 29, 2010
This is an extract from my now out of print book, Etcetera 1991-1997, which I re-produce in his honour and his memory.
"It seems to be the general line that the Appeals Court's recent judgment represents a disaster for Kgosi Seepapitso and a triumph for Minister Chapson Butale. Understandably so, given Justice Aguda's damning assessment that: 1. Seepapitso's is a record of a despot, a trouble-maker and of someone with little respect for either the law, for peace or for good order, and 2. the High Court's decision that the Minister's suspension order was procedurally correct, fully justified and in no way dictated by malice.
A young man suspected of breaking into a car was seized by residents, severely assaulted, and died in the hospital within an hour. We unreservedly condemn this mob justice. It is not a solution to crime, but a criminal offence that turns citizens into murderers.Residents are understandably angry about theft. The person who raised the alarm at 4am acted lawfully, and the neighbours who rushed to help showed community spirit. But what followed was...