Johannesburg - Social justice activist Gillan Schutte has clarified the reason she made racist comments by high court judge Mabel Jansen public almost a year later.
Judge Mabel Jansen came under fire after she made controversial comments in a private Facebook inbox conversation with Schutte, claiming, among others, that murder and the gang rape of babies, daughters and mothers were “pleasurable” pastimes in black communities.
In her Facebook messages to Schutte, the judge said she was “yet to meet a black girl who wasn’t raped by the age of 12”.
Jansen’s comments have been met with widespread public outrage.
Schutte, a co-founder of the social media forum Media for Justice and an author, made it public on social media recently.
The judge has been lambasted by social media users since screen grabs of her conversation with Schutte went viral on Facebook and Twitter with #MabelJansen trending from yesterday.
There have also been mounting calls for her resignation with a petition calling for her removal circulating.
One of the screen grabs of the conversation Jansen had with Schutte reads: “Gillian, do you believe that I am even propositioned by my black colleagues who tell me that they will be in hotel X and expect me to report there at a specific time. I am shell-shocked.
“In their culture, a woman is there to pleasure them. Period. It is seen as absolute right and a woman’s consent is not required. I still have to meet a black girl who was not raped at 12. I am dead serious.”
In another, she writes: “Murder is also not a biggy. And gang rapes of baby, daughter and mother, a pleasurable pastime. That in reality is a flip side of the coin...”
Following wide condemnation from social media users, Jansen sought to defend herself, saying her statements were shared “confidentially, with the aim of helping somebody”.
She posted: “What I stated confidentially to somebody in a position to help has been completely taken out of context.”
She said her views referred to specific court cases.
But Schutte has rejected the judge’s claims and took to Facebook to write: “There was no request for me to help Jansen with victims.
“This message was sent to me during the debate that was happening in public... where she says raping of babies, daughters and mothers is seen as a black man’s right among other things.”
Schutte went on to clarify that the reason she was making the exchange public almost a year later was that Jansen was a judge and “gets away with espousing these views in public”.
She said her comments amounted to “surface racism” and that it “illustrates how these colonial tropes are still employed by the white master narrative - and easily drawn upon to undermine black movements and individuals who pose a threat to the status quo”.
She said she went public as Jansen was “passing judgement on people she perceives as monsters and victims - dehumanised”.
The Star could not reach Schutte for comment on Monday morning.
Jansen is currently presiding over Julius Malema’s SA Revenue Service (Sars) tax case.
However, EFF spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi refused to comment, saying a statement would be released later on Monday.
Malema appeared in the high court in Pretoria in February over a battle with Sars regarding alleged outstanding money owing for taxes.
The Star