Judge tears strips off Zwane for 'Trump'-style Twitter stunt
The withdrawal of the controversial moratorium on mining rights has been made an order of the court, and the Chamber of Mines has kept its interdict open indefinitely
In a brutal judgment, Judge Ramarumo Monama tore strips off Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane in his treatment of the court in the urgent interdict brought by the Chamber of Mines to stop a proposed moratorium of mineral and prospecting rights and transfers. Zwane said late on Thursday night that the department would not proceed with the moratorium he gazetted on July 19 after taking consideration of public submissions received by the department ahead of the August 4 deadline. The tweet from Zwane and a later media statement, which was not communicated to either Judge Monama or to the chamber’s lawyers, was a source of anger for the judge, who accused Zwane of behaving like US President Donald Trump — who makes important statements via Twitter. The fact that Zwane had not answered extremely serious allegations in the chamber’s founding affidavit demanded an explanation, he said. The chamber and department came to a signed agreement to make an order of the court Zwane’s stat...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.