Moseneke lauded as he steps down

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DEPUTY Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke was described as a giant, a hero, a courageous, fearless man and an astute legal mind as praise for him flowed freely at a special ceremony yesterday in the Constitutional Court to mark his retirement. “We cannot thank you enough for having ensured that South Africa gets to have this lawyer of exceptional ability, a legal giant… a jurist who’s made an enormous contribution to the enrichment of our jurisprudence,” said Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng. Moseneke, who started his legal career in 1976, has served on the Constitutional Court since November 2002 and was appointed deputy chief justice in June 2005.

Mogoeng had only praise for the way Moseneke handled being overlooked on more than one occasion for the position of chief justice.

“He said it was an honour just to be a judge of the High Court and even more so a deputy chief justice. He said my responsibility is more to the nation than to myself.”

Moseneke, when he spoke, first honoured his mother Karabo, who attended the ceremony, then shared the lessons he learnt during his 10-year incarceration on Robben Island following his arrest at 15 for anti-apartheid activity.

He obtained three degrees from Unisa during this time.

“You cannot merely dream about your revolutionary ideas. You need to take real and concrete steps,” he said.

“I was my own liberator,” he added, saying that he actively pursued his freedom and then, once he entered the legal profession, pursued excellence in his career.

He thanked the public for their ongoing support.

Moseneke’s memoir will be published in September, after which he said he hoped to spend at least a year travelling through Africa.

Guests at the ceremony included former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Mothlanthe, veteran human rights lawyer George Bizos, former Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille.