Tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu has apologised for her “hurtful comments” and retracted her stinging remarks on the judiciary following a meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa this week.
Ramaphosa castigated Sisulu over an opinion article published in Independent Media publications earlier in January in which she described black judges as “mentally colonised”, drawing sharp criticism from civil society, politicians and the country’s top judge, acting chief justice Raymond Zondo, who came out in defence of the third branch of government in a rare moment of censure of politician outside a court judgment.
“The president specifically admonished the minister about her attack on the judiciary,” according to statement from t his office late on Thursday, quoting from the article where she aimed particular fire at black judges whose “lack of confidence ... permeates their rulings against their own”.
The discussion, which Ramaphosa’s office said took place earlier this week, resulted in an apology from Sisulu. Analysts had said the article had positioned her as a de facto leader of the so-called radical economic transformation (RET) faction linked to former president Jacob Zuma, which may seek to unseat Ramaphosa at the party’s internal leadership contest in December.
The statement from the presidency said Sisulu conceded that her words were inappropriate and that she “retracts this statement and affirms her support for the judiciary”.
“I accept that my column has levelled against the judiciary and African judges in particular unsubstantiated, gratuitous and deeply hurtful comments,” said Sisulu.
“I retract unequivocally my hurtful comments. I recognise that many women and men judges past and present have served their country in the judiciary with dedication and patriotism and some have made sterling sacrifices in the fight against apartheid and colonialism. I apologise for and regret the hurt I have caused the judiciary.”
Justice minister Ronald Lamola wrote a reply at the weekend, while minister in the presidency Mondli Gungubele distanced the government from Sisulu’s views.
The drama unfolds during the year in which the ANC is heading to its elective conference after four years of Ramaphosa’s of the party, which suffered its worst electoral performance since the end of apartheid in local government elections in 2021.
The performance has raised alarm that the party might lose absolute power in national polls due in 2024, a worry that may strengthen Ramaphosa’s opponents to push for his removal.
Rebuking Sisulu could be politically risky for Ramaphosa as it could give those backing her a reason to target him in December to legitimise a sense of victimhood, which some analysts say helped Zuma, who was fired from the cabinet in 2005 and turned it into victory against former president Thabo Mbeki in the 2007 ANC leadership contest.
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