Programme Director,
Minister Jeff Radebe,
Minister Michael Masutha,
President of the SCA, President Lex Mpati,
Judges President and other Judges,
Representatives of various organisations and the legal profession,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Colleagues and friends.
I am humbled and privileged to pay tribute to someone whose dedication and leadership has been invaluable. Minister Jeff Radebe has contributed not only to our department and to Government as a whole, but to the struggle for freedom and to the creation of a better life for all.
Minister Radebe has committed a lifetime to the attainment of democracy and human rights. After studying law, he did his articles with Phyllis Naidoo who defended many political activists.
He underwent military training with Umkhonto we Sizwe and was arrested in Johannesburg and charged and convicted under the Terrorism Act to a 10 year sentence. He spent four and a half years on the island and was released after organising a successful hunger strike to speed up the release of political prisoners in 1990.
By the time he left Robben Island, Minister Radebe was head of the African National Congress (ANC) political department on the Island. He has held various leadership positions in both the ANC and the SACP. He has been a Member of Parliament since 1994 and is one of our longest serving Ministers. In the past, he has served as Minister of Transport (2004 – 2009), Minister of Public Enterprises (1999 – 2004) and Minister of Public Works (1994 – 1999).
He has also served as Acting President on a number of occasions. In addition to his positions in government, he holds a number of important portfolios in the ANC, being a member of the ANC’s National Executive Committee and National Working Committee since 1991.
Since being appointed as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development in May 2009, Minister Radebe has been instrumental in the transformation of the justice system and in making access to justice a reality. When one reflects on Minister Jeff Radebe’s contribution to improved access to justice one is invariably reminded of the famous words of Justice Lewis Powell who said that:
“Equal justice under law is not merely a caption on the facade of the Supreme Court building; it is perhaps the most inspiring ideal of our society. It is one of the ends for which our entire legal system exists. It is fundamental that justice should be the same, in substance and availability, without regard to economic status."
Under his vision and leadership, this department has made great strides in many areas. Most notably, various initiatives were undertaken to extend access to justice to the 90% of the population who had previously been excluded. Having suffered the injustices of our past, the need for justice in our country has become all the more pertinent.
Access to justice has been improved through the creation of more courts, particularly in previously disadvantaged communities. Since 1994, 43 new courts were built, 9 of those between the period 2009 and 2013 under the tenure of Minister Radebe.
A further 24 branch courts were revamped and elevated into proper full-service courts – thus bringing full court services to rural and previously disadvantaged areas.
Of the 1 294 Acts passed by Parliament since 1994, 148 are attributed to the Justice sector. These Acts focus mainly on building and strengthening state institutions that support our constitutional democracy, transforming the judiciary and the justice sector, fighting crime and corruption and improving access to justice.
Under the leadership of Minister Radebe our Department has, over the past 5 years, initiated important pieces of legislation such as the Protection from Harassment Act, the Protection of Personal Information Act, the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act and of course the Legal Practice Bill. Also under his leadership, we’ve passed the Constitution 17th Amendment Act and the Superior Courts Act, which we believe will make great strides in improving access to justice.
Minister Radebe has also championed the transformation of our judiciary so that our judiciary can reflect the demographics of our country. Apartheid era judges were appointed by the State President who generally acted as a rubberstamp for the Minister of Justice and appointments were predominantly made from the ranks of senior counsel and were overwhelmingly white and male.
In 1994 there were only two judges of colour and one only one woman. Last year, of a total of 238 judges, the majority (105) were African. There are 23 Coloured, 23 Indian and 87 Whites. Also there are now 73 females. Our Department has also taken bold steps by increasing the allocation of briefs to legal practitioners from previously disadvantaged groups so as to transform the legal profession and make the profession more accessible.
We can proudly say that our courts and our justice system today are more legitimate, more representative and more accessible than ever before. This is the proud legacy of Minister Jeff Radebe.
Under his leadership and his role in the broader JCPS Cluster, we are also starting to win the war against crime, with crime levels declining and conviction rates increasing.
Last year, at the opening of the Camperdown Court, Minister Radebe said, and I quote,
“We should all appreciate that justice is not limited to what happens in courts but also how the ideals that are enshrined in the Constitution find expression in our daily lives.”
We salute Minister Radebe for his tremendous contribution, we thank him for his vision and he leadership. His term of office with our Department speaks of his selfless commitment to betterment of our society and to this very ideal of making the Constitution a living reality in people’s daily lives.
Someone once said the following about what true leadership is, and I think it is a very fitting description of Minister Radebe. To paraphrase, it is being:
“strong, but never rude,
kind, but never weak,
bold, but not a bully,
humble, but not timid,
proud, but not arrogant,
humorous, but without folly.”
Programme Director,
Some of you may be aware that while in high school Minister Radebe had wanted to become a medical doctor. However in his Matric year their mathematics teacher left, so medical students from the University of Natal Medical School, would come to the school over weekends to teach mathematics. During this time, the students introduced the learners to politics and the work of Biko and of the Black Consciousness Movement. As a result thereof Minister Radebe decided to study law instead of medicine.
It would be fitting therefore to conclude with the words of Steve Biko who said:
“The power of a movement lies in the fact that it can indeed change people. This change is not the result of force but of dedication, of moral persuasion.”
It is this dedication that Biko speaks of, which Minister Radebe has infused and inspired in all of us who know him and it is this same dedication, a dedication of his life to the struggle that has changed people and changed our society for the better.
To our new Minister, Minister Mike Masutha, a warm welcome to our department. Those of us who have worked with Minister Masutha over the years will know that he brings with him a wealth of experience as a Parliamentarian and that he has also been a member of the Executive. Both as an activist and as a qualified lawyer with Lawyers for Human Rights he has tirelessly fought for the rights of the disabled. Our Department is privileged to have him leading our team.
We wish Minister Radebe well in his new role as Minister of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation in the Presidency. Sikufisela ukuphila okuhle. We know that in this new role Minister Radebe will continue to ensure that the ideals that are enshrined in the Constitution find expression in daily lives of our people.
Now many of you may know that Minister Radebe is a keen soccer fan and he played for the Makana football team, as its goalkeeper, on Robben Island. It is said that he rarely misses a soccer derby. So we hope, Minister, that somewhere in the Presidency’s busy schedule you’ll find a little bit more time in future to watch soccer, although it’s probably unlikely.
We know that Minister Radebe’s vision and leadership will enrich the Presidency as it has our department. We know that his steadfast commitment to the people of South Africa will continue to enhance our government’s delivery to our people and to our dreams of a better life for all.
I thank you!
