EFF statement on the use of Advocate Jeremy Gauntlett SC and other white senior counsels
12 February 2016
The Economic Freedom Fighters outrightly condemns the continuous use of the services of white senior counsels by government, in particular, the services of Adv. Jeremy Gauntlett, SC. The EFF further rejects the impression created by government that Gauntlett is the sole legal talent available in the country. Zuma and his government have consistently over a number of years denied black senior counsels an opportunity to represent government in major cases that go before our courts. Instead the ANC government, which firmly believes in white supremacy and preservation of white privilege, undermines the ability and capacity of black senior counsels to do an excellent work in the courts.
The Black Lawyers Association has on numerous occasions complained to government about its continues use of white senior counsels like Gauntlett in important cases. Gauntlet, whose legal team is lily white, has represented government, SAA and SA Reserve Bank on numerous cases, in spite of the outcry from black senior counsels who never receive government briefs. The ANC government reinforces racist stereotypes that black people are incapable and incompetent by placing trust in arrogant and racist white senior counsels like Gauntlett.
In 2005, Gauntlett was reported to have been in an acrimonious battle with Judge Hlophe over appointment of acting judges in the Western Cape. According to Gauntlett, only white senior counsels needed to be appointed as acting judges because he believed in racially discriminatory practices, which excluded black counsels from such appointments. By having a lily white legal team, Gauntlett demonstrates his racism and disregard for black legal talent. There can be no excuse why he does not have black advocates in his legal team. This is a man who along with his white colleagues in the Western Cape questioned the integrity to the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), thus questioning the integrity of the Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng who presides over the JSC.
The fact that Gauntlett has been denied appointment as a judge on several occasion by the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) must demonstrate that there is nothing special about him and what he has to offer. We call on government to terminate services with white senior counsels and start taking transformation seriously. We even call on ANC criminals who have a fetish for white senior counsels, like Kemp J. Kemp and Gauntlett, to take transformation seriously and use services of capable and talented black senior counsels.
The EFF remains committed to transformation of the judiciary and the legal profession and supports the campaign by the Black Lawyers Association in this regard.
Issued by Mbuyiseni Quintin Ndlozi, National Spokesperson, EFF, 12 February 2016
