Daily Maverick article on Judge Sardiwalla borders on disinformation
5 December 2023
The Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services has noted with great concern the shocking allegations contained in an article penned by Kevin Bloom entitled “In new Stalingrad defence low, Ramaphosa’s discharge of D D Mabuza trial Judge delays truth for many more years” published in the Daily Maverick dated 04 December 2023.
In this article, Mr Bloom implied that President Ramaphosa, and the leadership of the judiciary connived, by discharging Judge Sardiwalla due to a medical condition to quash the case against former Deputy President Mabuza. This captious conclusion by Mr Bloom was neither based on any facts nor evidence to substantiate it. Instead, the article is laced, innuendos and speculation.
It is common cause that the President, on 24 July 2023 signed a Minute in which he discharged Judge Sardiwalla from active service in accordance with section 3(2) (c) of the Judges Remuneration and Conditions of Employment Act, 1998.
The impression given by Mr Bloom is that the President may out of his own volition just decide to discharge a Judge if he is of the opinion that the Judge suffers from a medical condition that renders him or her incapable of performing his or her official duties. This assumption is incorrect and misleading.