DRUKEN DRIVING GRANDSON OF MANDELA LET OFF THE HOOK
The Sunday World reported that Nelson Mandela’s grandson had a case of drunken driving against him withdrawn because a certain police captain failed twice to bring the docket to court. According to the newspaper reports this young man’s alcohol content in the blood had exceeded the accepted legal limit.
The prosecutor tried to persuade the magistrate to postpone the case so that the matter of the disappearance of the docket could be resolved but the magistrate refused to grant a postponement. Was the magistrate and the police captain bought off? This needs probing. Aren’t we all equal before the law or are some more equal than others?
The Sunday World reported that Nelson Mandela’s grandson had a case of drunken driving against him withdrawn because a certain police captain failed twice to bring the docket to court. According to the newspaper reports this young man’s alcohol content in the blood had exceeded the accepted legal limit.
The prosecutor tried to persuade the magistrate to postpone the case so that the matter of the disappearance of the docket could be resolved but the magistrate refused to grant a postponement. Was the magistrate and the police captain bought off? This needs probing. Aren’t we all equal before the law or are some more equal than others?
The other day daughter of Tshwane Mayor Dr Gwen Ramokgopa and friends were allegedly caught smoking dagga and it was reported that Ramokgopa’s daughter bit an arresting officer on his hand. This is resisting arrest, an offence punishable by law. However, she was released the same day probably because her mom went to plead with the cops. As if that was not enough, when Ramakgopa’s daughter appeared in court she was brought in through the back door and whisked away unnoticed. We never heard about her anymore and she probably got a slap on the wrist or she got out scot free like Mandela’s grandson.
Minister of Police, Nathi Mthetwa, National Commissioner of Police, Bheki Cele and President Jacob Zuma’s “shoot to kill” policy is a gimmick as long as there is one law for the rich and powerful and another for the weak and powerless. If these gentlemen can’t deal with misdemeanors such as the ones committed by the grandsons of the Mandela’s and daughters of the Ramokgopas, how do they expect to resolve major crimes in this country?
If the grandsons of the Mandela’s and daughters of the Ramokgopas are too important to pay for their crimes, who do these gentlemen expect to pay for their crimes? Are you not realizing that you will engender a rebellion not only among ordinary citizens but also among law enforcement officers and thus collapsing respect for the law? Moreover, appointments to the security cluster positions and judiciary are done in a way that gives the impression that it is jobs for pals as usual.
The drunken driving case of Mandela’s grandson and possession of illicit drugs by Ramokgopa’s daughter should be reviewed and appropriate steps taken so that our judiciary and law enforcement agencies should be exemplary.
By Sam Ditshego
