by Hannes Wessels
I think I’m right in saying that fundamental to the success of Western civilisations through history has been the successful application of the rule of law. Maybe it does not need repeating but in the current context maybe it does; without the rule of law, chaos leading to anarchy is normally not far behind. I think it is also true to say that laws really only function effectively when they are respected by the majority of the people on whom they are imposed, and that requires sensible legislation and fairness in the application and enforcement of those statutes. And for laws to engender respect nobody should be above them.
Very soon after independence in Zimbabwe, when most people were in a state of something close to euphoria, because then Prime Minister Mugabe was making all these wonderful conciliatory noises about there being a bright future for us all in a country where race would be irrelevant, I was an early sceptic.
The reason for this was I had my eye on the murder trial of Edgar Tekere, then a cabinet minister, who took it upon himself to go and murder Gerald Adams, an elderly white farmer after a lunch with Mugabe and the late President Samora Machel. There was little or no disputing the facts and Justice Pitman, who was highly respected, had no qualms in reaching a guilty verdict. However, this was overruled by his two assessors on the highly questionable grounds that the accused was acting in ‘good faith’ because he genuinely believed he had protected the security of the state by killing this defenceless old man. This signal event troubled me deeply and I feared this was an indication that the country was on the slippery slope to lawlessness and ultimately self-destruction. Sadly, I was right.
Eighteen years later I watched with great interest, the impeachment proceedings that bedevilled the presidency of Bill Clinton following the Monica Lewinsky affair. The charges had nothing to do with sexual ‘adventurism’ in the Oval Office involving Ms. Lewinsky, but everything to do with ‘lying under oath’ and thereby involving himself in the obstruction of justice. There was absolutely no doubting the facts but as in Zimbabwe, politics interfered, the Democratic Party rallied, and Clinton was acquitted. He walked free from a prosecution that would have resulted in the imprisonment of virtually every other citizen; and with that, America took a step closer to Zimbabwe and the systemic failure that has been the ruination of so many of the countries of the Third World.
The trend continues. Only now are the facts emerging surrounding the endemic lawlessness of the Obama administration: the apparently illegal spying on the Trump campaign and the ‘Russia Collusion’ investigation which, it is now clear, was based on a phoney dossier compiled on behalf of the Hilary Clinton election campaign. Obama, Biden, CIA chief Brennan, Intelligence chief Clapper, Attorney General Holder and many other senior officials all appear to have used ‘law enforcement’ to advance a political agenda. Through abuse of the legal process that some have called ‘treasonous’, they almost crippled the tenure of a duly elected president. Whether or not, they will be called to account remains unclear.
In the United Kingdom, similar signs of selective application of the law have appeared, where it seems the rules vary depending on race, religion and political affiliation. As a result, Pakistani Muslim ‘grooming gangs’ ran rampant in British cities, under the noses of the constabulary, but with impunity. They belonged to a minority group, which, in the climate of obsession with race victims (blacks and ethnic minorities – the oppressed), rendered the responsible authorities fearful of being accused of racism so they ignored the crimes. The fact that virtually all the victims were white (the oppressors), made it easier for them to look the other way.
Belatedly, after rising outrage at these double-standards, some action was reluctantly taken to investigate the perpetrators. But only when the trial of one group of suspects commenced were we witness to the full force and wrath of English law enforcement. This was visited upon Tommy Robinson, who had the temerity to video these men on their way out of court, resulting in his summary conviction of contempt of court and immediate imprisonment. Tommy, of course is white, and is labelled ‘far-right’ because he espouses ‘traditional’ British values, and therefore guilty of most ‘crimes’ even before being charged.
But here in South Africa, unfortunately, it appears we are well ahead of Britain and America in twisting the law to pursue a dubious agenda. A recent post I read chronicled some of the alleged crimes involving high-level, fraud, corruption and theft, that have occurred since the transfer of power to the ANC twenty-five years ago. I was left gutted.
Since the advent of ‘democracy’, well over 200 serious and well documented alleged crimes involving, I imagine thousands of ANC officials and their associates, have been well investigated and publicised. In the process, God alone knows how much money has been stolen but it runs into the hundreds of billions and I don’t think even the ANC dispute that. Despite this litany of brazen criminality, I know of only one successful prosecution; the conviction of Schabir Shaik, by Justice Hilary Squires, in June 2005 on several counts of fraud and money laundering involving his friend and business associate, Jacob Zuma. Shaik received a lengthy jail sentence but after a short stint in a prison hospital he was released on parole and has lived happily ever after.
So, in post-apartheid South Africa, not one person has effectively been punished for reducing the country to penury. However, under the new regulations promulgated as a result of the ‘pandemic’, NPA statistics show over 15,000 people have been arrested for violating the rules of confinement and over 12,000 dockets have been opened.
The person initiating and directing this ridiculous regimen is Mrs. Dlamini-Zuma, who, as Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, oversees the Disaster Management Act; the umbrella legislation that permits the ‘lockdown’.
This is the ex-wife of the man who tried to sell the country’s assets and pocket the proceeds, who was accused of lying to parliament and who has been at the centre of power throughout the entire ‘State-Capture’ process. It looks to me like the laws of the land have now been weaponised, the country is under arrest and the good guys are on the wrong side of the bars.
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Thank you Hannes,
another excellent article. It seems to me , no matter which country you go to , the politicians are corrupt and the only people they are looking after , are themselves. I wonder what Africa will be like in 20 years time ? unfortunately , worse I think. Why the populations put up with it ,I don’t know.
You write exceptionally well. I do not agree with all of your examples (I was involved with some of these events) but I do agree that the legal system has been weaponized by powerful, hidden, amoral forces.
Concur with Ian and yourself, Hannes. Law and order as we know it no longer exists, either in Zimbabwe or RSA. And your comments on Britain and the US fiascos are indeed telling.
It is agonising to watch one’s once prosperous home and peoples reduced to penury and chaos. Ironic that the architects of those debacles are now feeling the wrath of their own actions.
Richard.
It was Tommy Robinson (not Morrison) that videod the abusers.
Apologies. Thanks Julian.
You have really summed these situations up very well!! The question is ” what can we do to rectify ( or at least try to), some of what has been going on for many years in SA?? At this stage of the game I believe that Cyril Ramaphosa, who started out a strong leader, has been so bombarded by deviously thought out psychological ” warfare” against him as a person and as president!! I have watched him on tv and have seen how his eyes have lost their vibrant life! I also believe that he gets overruled by the likes of Nkosasana Zuma, Ace Machashule, Bheki Cele and others who want to prove a point!! We must also not forget the question of our govt having been “bought” by the likes of Bill Gates and WHO!!! They speak out of one mouth with these money powers worldwide! It is evident that all have received the same script and make the same comments and pronouncements! I am talking about those that are under obligation to these people handing out money, and ” have to do as they are instructed”!! Sadly I have heard our dear president speak from the same mouth! It is evident that he also has been drinking from this poisoned chalice!! There is much more at stake than the short term wellbeing of SA!! I am a staunch follower of your input and writings and am now finally also signed on!! Kind regards Elizabeth
Thanks Elizabeth. I agree with much of what you say but I’m afraid I’m lost for answers and feel we are a minority, swimming against the tide. I feel a sense of despair I’m afraid.
Factually correct in every word – something has to break sooner rather than later
Great article! Just a minor correction with the name of the chap who was given a summary conviction of contempt of court and immediate imprisonment. His name is Tommy Robinson, not Morrison.
All the best,
Martyn
Thanks Martyn. Apologies.
H I’ am of the notion it is in fact the case that our worldwide jails should be filled with corrupt politicians more so than the criminals who have perpetrated petty crimes. I believe that the ratios Of those incarcerated would indeed be outnumbered by by the politicians!
Sadly the dirt that lines the Democratic Party is unlikely to ever be eradicated. Great article yet again
Yes Warwick I think the bad guys are winning and we have our hands tied behind our backs. Life was a hell of a lot better when we thought we had a fighting chance.
It is clear that the ANC Government has no respect for the citizens simply by looking their decisions. The massive concerns is that the very ANC were found to have failed in the constitutional duties and responsibilities in the past and nothing came of that.
So they have now again plunged this county into another crisis that has no basis in fact. It is based purely on computer generated projections. I have copied the response below that I used in another blog.
The Government keeps on saying that they are relying on science and empirical evidence etc to make decisions. Yet the whole issue of the lockdown is based on recommendations of an organisation like the UN-WHO who is not scientific and is also not an organisation that is elected by anyone. It is an organisation of Governments of who many are tyrannies and despots and are far from anything that represents the citizens. So how can following their recommendations be a legitimate foundation to make decisions affecting the citizens of countries?
The next issue is that the recommendations that the WHO followed were based on computer generated modelling which itself is only a mathematical calculation based on assumptions. They have already been subjected to scientific scrutiny and have proven to be wildly incorrect and without considerations.
Thirdly there is absolutely no empirical evidence that lockdowns work and in fact Sweden contradicts the postulate.
Fourthly there is scientific evidence that masks do not protect the individual from being infected or infecting others.
Fifthly there is also scientific evidence that the measures adopted by governments is causing extensive harm to the citizens and the economies of the nations. The measure that the country is taking make little sense for example isolation of the healthy and the sick. In normal cases it is the sick that are Isolated and not the healthy.
The actual tests being used to determine the infections themselves are found to be faulty and do not actually detect the virus but may only be tested and finding only exosomes which are not viruses, the very paper that was used to say that a virus had been isolated failed both Koch’s and Rivers Postulates and this was criticised by a Dr Dr. Andrew Kaufman- link here https://youtu.be/KGGd7-vvd9Y
The actions are in fact against any rational decision of medical Hippocratic oaths like, ” First do no harm”. Yet the actions of the government are causing massive harm to the citizens and their livelihood.
I continuously ask the questions
Q1. Last year over 11 000 died of flu like diseases. Where was the panic and the lockdown then?
Q2. When has it ever been sound medical or governmental practice to sacrifice – and destroy – the economic, mental, and physical well-being of the 99 percent to MAYBE protect and save the one percent…or less? When?
It’s Tommy Robinson, not Morrison – forgivable because that’s not even his real name, but he is one of the few British heroes left.
As usual, you are on the button with this article Hannes.
Of course, it is a well-known Communist tactic to see how many mindless, unjust and irrational laws you can foist on the population.
If you can get away with it, you’ve got them by the balls.
Unfortunately, in this country we have a white population who are compliant to a fault.
They have been made to feel guilty for the imagined sin of wanting to allow the blacks to develop at their own pace in their own territory.
The Afrikaners hailed their first financially successful members (Marais, Rupert, etc.) as heroes and they have been trying to emulate them ever since, at the expense of their own people.
I don’t have much hope for the future of this country.
I wonder if it would help if we crowd-funded a good lawyer to set up a trust fund where we deposit all our taxes, only to be handed over to the government (less expenses) when they stop suppressing us?
At my age, I no longer have the energy or knowledge of how to do this.
I must confess that I have become so cynical that I am even beginning not to care about the next generation – they have messed up everything we fought for, so they can take the pain – I won’t be around to see too much of it!
The policy is clear: enrich the elite by impoverishing the poor. It’s an old and trusted strategy, poor (and hungry) people become dependent on the State and Party.
Because this is de facto policy, it is unlikely we will see prosecution of any ANC elite.
Ian
Have sub-editors been suspended from work? Tommy Robinson surely. Who is Tommy Morrison?
Sorry Ron. I’m looking for one.