UPDATE
The petition, with more than 150 000 signatures, was handed over on
Friday morning
The sponsors of an online petition calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to support Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng’s right to express his Christian views on Israel plan to hand over the petition to the President’s Office at parliament on Friday — the day that the Judicial Conduct Committee (JCC) is considering the chief justice’s appeal against a JCC ruling ordering him to apologise for remarks he made about Israel during a webinar in June last year.
“We need your help to get the petition in support of Chief Justice to over 150 000 by Friday,” says Vivienne Myburgh national director of International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ), in a message urging citizens to sign the petition and it with others. At the time of posting this report the petition, which was initiated jointly by the ICEJ, Bridges For Peace, and South African Friends of Israel (SAFI), has nearly 143 000 signatures.
Myburgh’s message continues: “Last year in June the Chief Justice made known his biblically-based support of Israel and encouraged South Africans to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Despite the attacks on him he has not shifted in his position even after the Judicial Complaints Commission (JCC) found against him after a submission was lodged by anti-Israel groups. The Chief Justice has refused to apologise and has appealed the finding by the JCC. The hearing for the appeal is taking place on Friday, 11th of June.
“Now is the time to pray and support the Chief Justice. We are asking for your help. Please can you:
• Share this petition widely
• Add a prayer for the Chief Justice to any vigils, church services, prayer gatherings or Israel support groups that you in involved in.
“We need to stand together and make our voices heard to raise a standard against this attack on personal religious freedom in SA.”
Gateway News has been informed that Mogoeng, who is currently on long leave, has not been asked to appear before the JSC on Friday and that he is currently at home in Mahikeng with his wife, trusting that God gave him the grounds to appeal and gratefully aware of the prayers being lifted on his behalf.
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