Oh Mabel, you’ve only gone and had yourself a bloody shocker.

Yesterday we showed you what Judge Jansen had to say on Facebook, journalist Gillian Schutte making public the messages she had received (HERE).

Now that those are out in the open the wheels have begun to come off, with the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation saying her views may have had an influence in the cases of black offenders which she presided over.

Here’s EWN:

The foundation’s Neeshan Balton said, “[it is] completely unacceptable at this point in time in our country for somebody who holds that office and who in her interviews in the JSC presented herself as a very progressive person.”

The ANC were up in arms, with this below from the Mail & Guardian:

The African National Congress (ANC) wants North Gauteng High Court Judge Mabel Jansen ‘banned’ from working in any South African court…

“That kind of stereotype must not be found within the bench” said current ANC national spokesperson Zizi Kodwa during a media briefing in Parktown, Johannesburg.

Kodwa said Jansen’s utterances rubbishes the notion that judges are faultless and beyond reproach, and that the transformation within the judiciary needs to be urgently addressed. “People like Jansen and Matthew Theunissen don’t appreciate the past and the present of this country. Racism has no place here,” Kodwa said.

And, rather predictably, the DA also came to the party. The Mail & Guardian once more:

The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Monday said it would refer the alleged racist outbursts by High Court Judge Mabel Jansen to the Judicial Services Commission’s (JSC) Judicial Conduct Committee.

This, said the DA’s Glynnis Breytenbach, would determine whether an investigation was in order into Jansen’s alleged racism on social media platform, Facebook.

“Given the gravity of this complaint, it is important that this committee is apprised of all the facts in this regard and satisfies itself that Judge Jansen indeed acted in contravention of her judicial oath,” said Breytenbach.

“We have also requested that the South African Human Rights Commission conduct their own investigation into the matter.”

When will people learn that social media is not the place for voicing your antiquated, racist views?

Maybe we need to bring back the comments section on News24, everyone engaged in some name-calling and social media seemed somewhat devoid of racist rantings.

[sources:ewn&mg&mg]