Liberals and atheists are keeping their eyes on Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng waiting for him to do something objectionable, the president of the Christian Democratic Party said on Saturday.
Theunis Botha was reacting to a report on Thursday that Mogoeng had sent an email instructing judges to attend a leadership conference by a United States evangelist.
“It would appear that the liberals and atheists are keeping their beady eyes on Mogoeng, just waiting for him to do something they can object to,” said Botha in a statement.
“And why? All because he is a committed Christian and adheres to a Christian value system.
‘Act with impunity’
“Had he been a devout atheist adhering to a liberal value system, that is as much ‘religion’ as Christianity, he would have been able to act according to his convictions with impunity,” said Botha.
He said liberals demanded fair judgements from the chief justice but then doubted him, suspicious of his Christian stance.
The M&G is in possession of an email sent on behalf of Mogoeng by Memme Sejosengwe, chief director of court performance, in which heads of court, judges president, their deputies and “the most senior judge in the division where there are no deputy judges president” are “requested to be available” for an evangelical leadership conference that was held in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, this past Monday.
The “I Can John Maxwell Leadership Conference” was hosted by US evangelist and motivational speaker John C Maxwell, South Africans Mamikie and David Molapo of the I Can Foundation and Hollywood Christian motivational speaker Abner Mariri, who has appeared as guest of honour at events held by charismatic churches such as Oasis for Life.
Maxwell is a teaching pastor at the Christ Fellowship Church based in Palm Beach, Florida, in the US.
Mogoeng is a lay preacher at the Winners Chapel International Church and told the JSC during his interview for the position of chief justice last year that he accepted the nomination after praying and getting a “signal that it was the right thing to do”.
Mogoeng told Business Day on Friday that he did not compel any judge to attend the course. He said the reports were doing a “disservice to our country” by taking things “out of context and to sensationalise”.
Lulama Luti, Mogoeng’s spokesperson, said in statement on Friday: “… At a meeting of the heads of courts in Johannesburg today … the heads of courts present unanimously stated that they had not felt compelled to attend the conference.” – Sapa and Staff reporter