South Africans Outraged Over Consideration of Zimbabwean for Labour Court Appointment
South Africans Outraged Over Consideration of Zimbabwean for Labour Court Appointment – The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) of South Africa has sparked controversy after recommending Zimbabwean-born lawyer Tapiwa Gandidze for a Labour Court appointment, leaving many South Africans outraged over what they see as preferential treatment.
Gandidze, now a South African citizen, was the only candidate successfully recommended for the Labour Court bench.
Meanwhile, Judge Leicester Adams, the sole candidate for the Electoral Court, was also put forward. The final decision now rests with President Cyril Ramaphosa.
During her interview, Gandidze was questioned about cases she had handled involving foreign nationals.
She responded, “I am not aware of any matter that I have worked on where there were foreign nationals involved. Maybe they were, but if the papers do not refer to that fact, I have no way of knowing. When I sit as a judge, whether you are South African or a foreign national, I am just applying the law.”
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However, many South Africans see her appointment as an injustice, arguing that local candidates should be prioritized over foreigners. The backlash on social media has been intense:
- @Thabis0_012: “Recommending a Zimbabwean over South Africans is crazy. Tapiwa is a Zimbabwean.”
- @Ndlombango: “I repeat, would a South African be a judge in Zimbabwe?”
- @KommanderOD: “So Amakwerekwere can be judges in South Africa, but South Africans cannot be judges in their own countries? The ANC is leaving us with no country!”
Others, however, defended Gandidze, calling the outrage unfair. @custy_kgadi noted, “If this lady was white, you wouldn’t be here questioning her nationality.”
The debate has once again reignited tensions over foreign nationals in South Africa’s workforce, with critics accusing the government of overlooking its own people in favor of outsiders.
