The Laudium Sun has for some time now not awarded the ‘Mampara’ title to anyone, not that no one deserved it, but rather as we thought that so many people were worthy recipients on a weekly basis, from corrupt politicians to inefficient council officials, that it would be best to leave it out, so as not to diminish the essence of the title.
However, this time around, we are virtually ‘forced’ to announce a winner who deserves the title to the point that we believe that he may also easily make the Mampara title of the year or even decade. Not only is our recipient a local resident, but he is one of those who, despite not known to be a journalist covering community news, is often “poking’ his nose into other people’s personal affairs, without first looking at the wrongs he or others close to him are doing.
Our award of Mampara or rather in this case, ‘Moegoe of the Month’, thus has to go to none other than, Ismail Abramjee. Ismail, a controversial figure within the community and feared by many, due to his or his family’s connections with high ranking politicians and officials in government departments including the police, not only caused concern among many residents locally and throughout the country, but cast suspicions on the conduct of the impeccable ConCourt Justices, by sending out a highly disturbing text message, about four weeks ago.
This followed pending cases at the time, involving the Public Protector and the National Assembly, amongst others, running in both the High Court and the ConCourt. Ismail sent a text to Advocate Andrew Breytenbach the lead senior counsel for the speaker of the National Assembly, stating, “Hello Adv Breytenbach. Re: The Public Protector case tomorrow. I have it on very good authority that the ConCourt has declined to hear the Public Protector’s rescission application. The decision will be made known sometime this coming week but not later than Friday. I thought I’d just share this with you on a strictly confidential basis. Thanks”.
This text had sent waves in the legal fraternity, with the Public Protector’s Counsel asking for the postponement of a hearing that was at the time taking place in the High Court. Ismail has not denied sending the message, but told the Laudium Sun that his text was actually not a fact of information, but rather his opinion as he was a legal analyst and that he could not see how the ConCourt would entertain the Public Protector’s case. The ConCourt had since ruled as stated by Ismail, against the Public Protector.
Some of the residents the Laudium Sun spoke to, who were only prepared to comment on condition of remaining anonymous for fear of reprisals, believe that Ismail either had prior inside information on the ‘feelings’ that certain justices of the ConCourt had, regarding the case concerning the Public Protector, or alternatively was vindictive in trying to cause embarassment to someone he knew at the ConCourt, or even worse it was an attempt by him to destabilise the justice system. Ismail’s text message made it clear that he had information “on very good authority”, thus as one reader put it, “This after thought response of Ismail now, or attempted coverup, is to say the least, an insult to the peoples intelligence. Ismail is not known to mince his words and the fact that he claims to be a legal analyst, is more the reason that he was well aware that what he puts down in words would have repercussions.”
Another resident said, “The fact that Ismail had sent the text to the advocate of Parliament, who he apparently did not know on a ‘friendly’ level, has indicated to some people that Ismail was hoping that his message would be leaked and furthermore that he expected or seemingly wanted it to cause ‘chaos’ within the highest court of the land. Whatever his reasons, as South Africans we cannot allow an individual such as Ismail Abramjee, who was during the dark days of apartheid a key supporter of the PW Botha Government, to destabilise the hard earned democracy that so many South Africans lost their lives for. Without a proper and functioning justice system, there is certainly no democracy and at the helm of the justice system is the ConCourt. Thus it is imperative that a full scale investigation be launched to find the true motive behind Ismail’s text message.”
Meanwhile it has been reported that the Public Protector has laid criminal charges against Abramjee, for contempt of court, perjury, corruption and defeating the ends of justice.
