Johannesburg - High court in Pretoria Judge Mabel Jansen has found herself caught in a social media storm after posting a message with racial undertones, seemingly suggesting rape is an ingrained part of black people’s culture.
So incensed were some users with the post that a petition was launched on Sunday night calling for her resignation.
In the post, Judge Jansen mentions murder, and gang rape of babies, daughters and mothers as pleasurable pastimes among black communities.
Screen grabs of the post, which went viral on Twitter, show that Judge Jansen was in a private conversation with another person on Facebook Messenger.
Racist remarks of Gauteng High Court Judge @mabel_jansen.
We don't want her apology or body. Just her head. Resign! pic.twitter.com/YqvNunXu1F
— Cde ShakaSisulu (@ShakaSisulu) May 9, 2016
A tweet of the Facebook post states in part: “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.”
She followed this up with another post: “It is only now that women realise that we are being hit by a veritable tsunami of rape cases... I must hand you 10, 20, 30, 40 files and you will adopt a completely different attitude. The white people have a lot to account for. But this? I feel like vomiting. So no black people are by far no angels. Their conduct is despicable.
“Murder is also not biggy. And gang rapes of baby, daughter and mother a pleasurable pass time (sic). That in reality is a flip side of the coin.”
Following wide condemnation from social media users, Judge 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 this did little to pacify people on social media, with many continuing to express their outrage with her views. Some wasted no time in calling for her resignation, with a petition being launched.
“Fellow South Africans, the views of Judge Jansen are not only racist and bigotry but also underline the institutional racism in our judicial system. I see it fitting that a person with such views cannot be given powers to preside in our legal system due to her lack of neutrality, which could tamper with her decision making due to personal views about race,” wrote Linda Mahamba, who started the petition.
“We have come a long way not to allow the views of individuals such as Mabel Jansen to instigate social unrest in our very fragile democracy. Your signature will be highly appreciated. Lead South Africa.”
By Sunday night, more than 30 people had signed the petition, which Mahamba said would be submitted to the South African Human Rights Commission. There were also numerous posts slamming Jansen's comments.
I went to bed as a proud law abiding citizen, only to wake up as a rapist just because I'm Black #MabelJansen.
Rape is a problem of a patriarchal, socio-economically divided society. It's not a race thing #MabelJansen
— Carpe diem (@BonganiRad) May 9, 2016
Rape is a serious matter that needs to be taken serious but to say every black man is a rapist is nonsense. #MabelJansen
— Modern Day Pantsula (@Thabiso_Dlamini) May 9, 2016
This comes barely a week after Capetonian Matthew Theunissen’s racist tweet in which he used the k-word to describe black people, while expressing his anger over the government's decision to bar rugby, cricket, athletics and netball from hosting international events for their apparent slow pace in meeting transformation quotas.
Judge Jansen was among those appointed by President Jacob Zuma as high court judges in December 2013. She is presiding over the SA Revenue Service’s tax case against EFF leader Julius Malema for the 2005 to 2011 tax years, among other high-profile cases.