GOOD statement by Brett Herron,
GOOD Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
11 August 2022
I welcome the Hawk’s announcement today of the arrest of 20 individuals alleged to have been involved in instigating or fuelling last July’s orgy of violence, looting and destruction of property.
A year ago I deposed two affidavits to the Hawks relating to apparently insurrectionary chats contained in four WhatsApp groups. The chats were handed to me by a brave whistle-blower, who later agreed to hand the damning electronic evidence directly to the Hawks.
The evidence appears to confirm that the event was well-orchestrated by identifiable individuals, well-funded, and implemented with the intention of over-turning the state.
Many of the posts were triumphant in response to some of the worst violence and destruction South Africa has witnessed since apartheid days.
The GOOD Party commends the whistle-blower’s courage. Many South Africans give crucial information to the criminal justice system at great personal risk. It is the system’s failure to act on information that leads to high crime rates, corruption and impunity.
It is therefore encouraging that the Hawks and NPA appear to have made progress, not least in demonstrating the principle that all South Africans, including politically-connected individuals, should be held equally accountable for their misdeeds.
The slow, sometimes imperceptible movement of the wheels of justice erodes confidence in the independence and commitment of players in the criminal justice system.
Developments such as today’s are important to restore trust in the implementation of the rule of law.
Media Enquiries:
Brett Herron, GOOD: Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
Cell: 0825183264
Email: bretth@forgood.org.za
Janke Tolmay, GOOD: Media Manager
Cell: 0733671223
Email: janke@forgood.org.za