Former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng has repeated assertions that he will be president of South Africa which was “predetermined by God” despite attempts on his life.
He accused “influential politicians” of making attempts to assassinate him at the end of last month because he was a threat to South Africa’s political arena, while also taking a swipe at president Cyril Ramaphosa’s leadership.
Mogoeng assertions come ahead of the 2024 national and provincial elections, the date of which Ramaphosa is expected to announce in a few days.
Mogoeng was tipped to be the presidential candidate for the All Africa Alliance Movement, however, media reports have suggested he has abandoned that idea.
The former chief justice, appointed by former president Jacob Zuma, retired from the Constitutional Court in October 2021 after serving for 12 years and since been hogging the headlines, including making his assertions known that god has chosen him to be president.
His latest rant was with a TV broadcaster on Sunday night, when he accused politicians of attempting to take his life “because God wanted him to be president”.
“It’s a settled matter that the all mighty God has spoken. No shenanigans can reverse what he has predetermined that I will be president,” he said in the interview.
He added that for him to become president he was not going to join or campaign for any political party to contest the elections.
“All I can say is that the Lord made it abundantly clear to me that I’m not going to join any political party … I’m not going to form any political party. He wants to do it His own way,” Mogoeng said.
When he was questioned about how that was going to materialise, Mogoeng said people believed in power of bones instead of God.
“Strangely enough people find it difficult to believe things of God but find it easy to believe everything else … If somebody threw bones and projected on the future of this country people would believe it and not have as many questions as I have raised now the prophetic words that I have alluded to … it’s only when somebody who is committed to the leading of the holy spirit or the Lord Jesus. That’s when questions are raised and people even question your sanity.
“When I said in 2011 that God had predetermined that I would be chief justice, I was a subject of great mockery. It was on the front pages of almost all the newspapers. I was projected as this lunatic … but people ate humble pie … It is also going to happen this time around.
Mogoeng further accused what he called “influential people” of trying to kill him.
“Even a good number of influential people who don't necessarily believe in God know that it is true. No wonder there are so many attempts to eliminate me… I won't elaborate further but it's good enough to say that I’m aware that there was a plan to take my life before the end of last month but by the grace of God I’m still here,” he added.
He said there were political parties that were after his leadership, reaching out to him to be involved in their political activities.
“But it’s the almighty god that I’m going to follow. I’m not hungry for any position and I'm not hungry for publicity, fame or anything of the sort.”
Mogoeng’s shot at becoming president after this year’s elections is if a political party nominates him from the floor during Parliament’s first sitting and he is elected as president by the majority.
Mogoeng also took the opportunity to make a subtle swipe at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the nation Address criticising his handling of load shedding.
“We have serious problems that I believe as concerned citizens we should not be having … and one of them is load shedding … the president was part and parcel of the government at all times and occupied the second highest office in the country while he was involved in Eskom and upon assumption of office he promised the nation that in he would end load shedding in 18 month,” he said.
He added that Ramaphosa was not keen enough to run the country.
“I don’t think that those with the possibility to interrogate issues are as keenly interested as they should be in some of the critical challenges that confront this country… I don't think they are as keenly interested ass they should be in ensuring that the constitutional obligation and commitments are lived up to,” he said.
The Presidency did not respond.
However, North West University, Public Administration Professor Dr John Molepo believes it would be impractical for Mogoeng to be president in the upcoming elections because of the way SA’s political system is set up.
“It’s impractical or impossible for him to become president with how things are at the moment… Maybe he is trying to tell us that he might be joining the MK (newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe Party), but even if that is the case and the MK gets a few seats… there is no way that he can become president of the country especially with the current political system that we have in the country.
“Once a political party has been elected and the sitting of parliament takes place their deployees have a mandate as to who to elect…but he might be trying to tell us he is working with other people to become president. Being president for him is practically impossible for now,” Molepo said.
The Star