A DURBANVILLE father who launched a scathing attack on the black
judiciary due to his contempt for affirmative action, was sentenced
in the Cape High Court on Tuesday to 16 hours weekend community
service.
Casparus Bresler, who was sentenced for contempt of court,
appeared before Judge Kathy Satchwell, of the Johannesburg High
Court.
She had been specially seconded to the Cape High Court for
Bresler’s case, because Bresler refused to be tried by any Cape
judge.
Bresler’s crusade against magistrates and judges of colour
started in 1999, when his daughter, Jeanine, was fined for speeding
by Bellville coloured magistrate Jerome Koeries.
The magistrate had ruled the daughter ”paranoid” — which
incensed Bresler — when she told the court she was speeding to
escape from a motorist who had frightened her.
Bresler had appealed on his daughter’s behalf, and in appeal
documents had not only described Koeries’ judgment as ”insane”, but
had questioned his sanity.
He had described the proceedings as a ”bundu court”, and a
”mickey mouse court”.
Satchwell described Bester’s behaviour as an ”unprovoked verbal
attack on the magistrate”.
However, she had decided against a jail sentence as she did not
want Bresler viewed as a martyr for what he saw as a cause.
She added: ”I specifically do not want him viewed as jailed for
racism”.
She said she could have ordered Bresler to apologise to Koeries,
but feared such an apology, if ordered, would not be sincere.
However, she ordered that he participate in a course in conflict
resolution, at his own cost.
The judge assured Bresler that the course would not subject him
to any form of mind control, or attempt to make him more
politically correct.
She said the sentence was not an attempt to impact on his
freedom of thought or expression. He will do the community service
at an old age home for people of different race groups.
She added: ”Bresler is intelligent and articulate, and
thoughtful of certain issues facing the country.
”It is appropriate for him to be seen giving aid or service to
his own community, as well as to communities of which he is not
part.” – Sapa