BLA to write to Gauteng judge president over comments made by judge in Senzo Meyiwa trial

JOHANNESBURG - The Black Lawyers Association (BLA) says it will be writing to the Gauteng judge president following comments by the presiding judge in the Senzo Meyiwa trial.

Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng slammed one of the defence attorneys, Thulani Mngomezulu, for failing to attend court proceedings on Wednesday.

He also questioned the conduct of some black lawyers.

The Pretoria High Court is hearing the trial of five men accused of Meyiwa’s 2014 murder.

Judge Mokgoatlheng did not hold back in his criticism of Mngomezulu’s conduct for being a no-show in court on Wednesday without reporting this to him or his registrar.

He also questioned his ethics, asking if this was still part of the syllabus in law school.

Mokgoatlheng also made a comment about some black lawyers.

"Is this how black lawyers behave? Why doesn’t he phone me? This is what counsel or an attorney who has ethical standards does. I get the message through my registrar – the attorney or advocate does not phone the judge and the judge must smile because he is black."

But president of the Black Lawyers Association, Nkosana Mvundlela, has criticised Mokgoatlheng’s utterances, questioning what Mngomezulu’s conduct had to do with him being black.

"If he holds such views it would be very, very sad in the whole process of lawyering in South Africa that a judge of his calibre to come out to believe that a person who does what our collegue may have done – he does not do it because he is black."

Mvundlela said they would be writing to Gauteng Judge President Dunstan Mlambo to talk to Judge Mokgoatlheng on his recent comments.