Dikgang Moseneke

Dikgang Ernest Moseneke OLG (born 20 December 1947) is a South African jurist and former Deputy Chief Justice of South Africa. Quotes The first lesson I learnt was that you cannot merely dream about your revolutionary ideals. You have to take real and concrete steps to pursue those legitimate ideals. The second lesson was that I was my own liberator… I copied from he revolutionary liberator, [first African National Congress Youth League president] Anton Lembede and later Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe. These leaders were urging young people of my time like me, and indeed those of the present, to pursue freedom in our life time. Then we must get up and do something which will move us closer to an idealised collective condition. I knew when I came out of Robben Island that I had to make a choice, either to skip the country and go into exile or become a combatant in the domestic struggle. I chose to do things the way I knew best – to become a lawyer of remarkable excellence, of unfailing integrity and of commitment to the broader struggle of our people in all their kinds and shapes, all colours, for an equal and just society. I defended most activists you can remember, I searched and found MK cadres in solitary confinement, protected them and defended them… I saved a number of APLA combatants from hangings and executions in Pretoria. I have appeared in trials of AZANLA fighters. I go back to where I started – I am my own liberator, and my people are their own liberators. Chief Justice, it was a wonderful experience to work with you, I hope that I was there to provide with supportive leadership for our judiciary. We have found each other, despite a difficult encounter, we have made common cause and principled footing…we share the love of our people as much as it is our duty to serve them. I say without fear or contradiction, that your integrity has been shown to be beyond questioning. You never flinched from making unpopular decisions, provided they were consistent with your honest and rigorous judgement…but sadly, much turbulence lies ahead. But that is what good pilots learn to live with. I am happy to tell our people that yours are safe hands, and I wish you well. I was my own liberator’ says retiring deputy chief justice Moseneke, Mail&Guardian, May 2016 That is where I work and serve the country and its people. I respect that chair and the responsibilities that come with it. I cannot remember a case that was not challenging. The role of the judge is to resolve disputes and by the time the cases reach the Constitutional Court, that is an indication of how serious the issues being disputed are.Land is not just an issue of economic or commercial importance – it has meaning at many levels. It is very spiritual. It is in land that we bury our people, we connect and speak to our ancestors. It is land on which churches, temples and mosques are built and it is from land that we eat and survive. The role of those of us in the judiciary is clear; the same goes for politicians and those in government. One cannot impose their own preferences on the judiciary – the Constitution constrains our agency for the greater good of the people. Constitutions are never perfect but ours is as good as it gets. Decolonisation is the total eradication of colonial legacies; this cannot be done on a judicial level. We merely uphold the Constitution. The work [of decolonising] will happen through the grassroots empowerment of South Africans. Six sets of wise words from Moseneke, Mail&Guardian, May 20 2016 External Links Category:Jurists Category:People from South Africa Category:1947 births Category:1940s