Judge in Meyiwa case willing to step aside over fair trial concerns

FILE | The courtroom at the High Court in Pretoria where the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial is taking place.

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Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng has stated that he is willing to recuse himself from the former Bafana Bafana captain, Senzo Meyiwa’s murder case at the High Court in Pretoria if the accused feel they will not receive a fair trial.

His remarks follow last week’s tense courtroom exchange after Adv. Charles Mnisi informed the court registrar that he would be unavailable on Monday due to participating in the Comrades Marathon.

Mokgoatlheng expressed concerns about courtroom decorum, emphasising that a murder trial should not be sidelined for personal matters.

He also sparked controversy with his statement that no white advocate would have made such a request, remarks for which he has since apologised.

Mokgoatlheng says, “If people see me as a racist, maybe I’m not aware of that, despite an adherence to the Freedom Charter of 1955. I was there in Kliptown. The gentleman in front of me, if you believe that I, as a judge, I’m so useless, a ‘moegoe’ and you think you can’t get a fair trial because of me. Please tell me! I’ll recuse myself. I don’t want to impose myself on people who doubt my integrity, honour and dignity, and I mean it. If you think this judge, the way he is racist, the way he doesn’t care for the Constitution, he is not fit to be our judge, please tell me. I will recuse myself.”