Durban — Advocate Dali Mpofu SC said that he considered the Labour Practice Council (LPC) ruling not a victory but a “collective defeat” because it meant that white media and white arrogance were being given attention by those who saw the LPC ruling as a victory.
Mpofu was speaking on Wednesday on a Twitter space hosted by Tshweu Moleme popularly known as Mr Tshweu and Michelle Modika.
The LPC cleared Mpofu of a misconduct charge for his “shut up statement” made at the Commission of Inquiry into allegations of State Capture when he was cross-examining Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan.
The LPC is a legal body that regulates the conduct of legal practitioners and investigated Mpofu for his conduct at the commission in March last year when he told Gordhan and advocate Michelle le Roux to shut up during proceedings.
“It is a defeat because this was a waste of time. I was a victim of white arrogance and concocted media power based on pure white arrogance. The failure to protect me by some of my colleagues was quite fierce. It is and has never been an insult to ask someone to shut up,” said Mpofu.
He expressed concern that some black people were collaborating with some of those oppressing black people.
“We need to display complete intolerance to oppression and this is how we used to demonstrate that we cannot sell out sometimes by even doing nothing when others are being attacked. This is why it is important to counter the white media and create spaces where we can openly have conversations. We need to find a way of harnessing this and collaborating with Dr Iqbal Survé and his Independent Media, The Insight Factor, and a few others so that we can use these platforms to educate our people.
“If you don’t harness the power to communicate and educate our people then this freedom we speak about will not materialise.”
He mentioned that it was easy for him to be at the receiving end of attacks by the media because the narrative was being controlled from somewhere.
Furthermore, he explained that those who were selling out were known as “good blacks” who never questioned the status quo and were rewarded with trophies and other “descriptions”.
“Being black in South Africa is much like being a slave because one has to conform to the white world and be a good black and never be like your fellow blacks. Never talk about land and racism because if you talk about these things you are accused of pulling out the ‘race card’.
“If you honour those descriptions you’re given all sorts of awards and be a professional of the year. You must never tell the ‘madam’ to shut up and so on… and that is why many people, for financial reasons, conform to those things because if they don’t, they won’t find work.”
He added: “Somebody needs to stand up and not tolerate racism everywhere because many people, including in the banking sector or anywhere face racism and are forced to conform. We must be prepared to be principled and challenge any injustices.
“What annoys me is our ability to tolerate and assist those who oppress us and the extent of their ability to always get our support in their exercise to oppress us. If you look back in history, you will find that the enemy had blacks that were used to even torture their own fellow blacks and sell them out.”
Daily News