Drunk..hic..magistrates

When the only criteria is that you are black (or close enough) it is logical that you invite in the dregs from the profession. How amazing that each one of the magistrates mentioned are from the 'previously disadvantaged'?

Read The Times' take on the matter, er, magistrates are under such stress that they are 'driven to drink'. Bullshit. That would be true if there was a proportionate number of white judges with drinking problems but the fact is despite being under the same 'pressure' white magistrates haven't been 'driven to drink'. Pleez.

They scrounged around for some mediocre black lawyers, pinned a black robe on them and made them 'magistrates'. The consequence is that you have mediocre judges, drunk at the bench, ruling on life and death issues. Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy knowing they have to decide your fate if you were unfortunate enough to appear before them.

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Alcoholism among magistrates, and a spate of drunken-driving offences involving them, is worrying parliament.

The Magistrates Commission is investigating 103 magistrates for offences ranging from drunken-driving to culpable homicide.

Mathupa Mokoena, chairman of parliament’s select committee on security and constitutional affairs, said personal problems and harsh working conditions contributed to the “alarming rate” of alcohol dependency among magistrates. “[But] whatever social problems or challenges they have, [ they shouldn’t] resort to drinking,” Mokoena said.

Though the commission downplayed the problem, seven magistrates have recently come under fire for alcohol-related offences . Victor Mabunda, arrested on Saturday for allegedly driving under the influence after colliding with a taxi, in Bronkhorstspruit ; Silumko Zwelibanzi, from Ngqamakwe, convicted of drunken driving; Nkosinathi Mjekula, arrested for allegedly driving while drunk in July last year and in June this year in King William’s Town. He will appear in court in December; Dawie Jacobs, arrested for allegedly driving while drunk in the Free State; and Malungu Mapipa, from Port Elizabeth, found guilty of culpable homicide and drunken driving this year.

Musa Kenneth Chauke from Pretoria was convicted for theft of diet products this year and was arrested for drunken driving but because he is appealing the conviction the Magistrates Commission will have to wait for the outcome of the matter before taking further steps and Larney Opperman from East London was ordered to seek professional help by a high court judge in August after she was accused of being drunk on the job.

The commission has completed their preliminary investigation and a report will be tabled soon. Four of the seven magistrates are from the Eastern Cape. And a commission found in 2002 that in one year eight Eastern Cape magistrates were guilty of alcohol-related crimes.