UPDATES WITH SUSPENSION OF JUDGE
By Hassan Isilow
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AA) – A white South African judge accused of suggesting rape is part of the culture of black men has been placed on special leave pending the outcome of a complaint filed against her.
Justice Minister Michael Masutha confirmed in a statement Wednesday that he has approved special leave for Judge Mabel Jansen.
Masutha said he took racist allegations made against the Pretoria High Court judge seriously because citizens always assume those adjudicating against them are not biased.
Jansen faced a barrage of criticism this week after suggesting that all black men were rapists.
She made the comments in a private Facebook conversation with film-maker Gillian Schutte, who later made the remarks public.
“In their culture a woman is there to pleasure them,” Jansen wrote last year. She added: “It is seen as an absolute right and a woman’s consent is not required… I still have to meet a black girl who was not raped at about 12. I am dead serious.”
The comments have led to a petition for Jansen to be removed as a judge. The Black Lawyers Association has called for her immediate resignation, saying her comments are not befitting those of a judge.
The group will deliver a memorandum on Thursday to the North Gauteng Deputy Judge president, Justice Ledwaba, calling for Jansen’s sacking.
Some legal experts believe that black males sentenced to jail by Jansen might now have grounds to appeal her rulings.
“A high court judge with such grossly racist views could never hand down fair judgments to black people,” popular musician Simphiwe Dana tweeted. “Mabel Jansen should resign”.
Others referred to Jansen as a bigot and a racist.
The judge said her comments had been taken out of context and referred to specific court cases.
The case is the latest in a growing number of high-profile incidents on social media in the country that left Apartheid behind two decades ago.
In January, estate agent Penny Sparrow referred to black South Africans as “monkeys” in a Facebook post and a black government employee, Velaphi Khumalo, later called for the country to do to white South Africans what “Hitler did to the Jews”.
South Africa’s government has vowed to toughen anti-racism laws.
