South Africans React to ANCWL’s Bathabile Dlamini’s Sentence, Facing 4 Years in Jail or R200k Fine

• ANC Women’s League president Bathabile Dlamini was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, or she has to pay a hefty fine
• The former Minister of Social Development was found guilty of perjury last month at the Johannesburg Magistrate Court
• South Africans took to social media to share their annoyance over the sentence, with many saying it is unfair

JOHANNESBURG - ANC Women’s League president and former Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini was sentenced to four years imprisonment or an R200 000 fine after she was found guilty of perjury.

The sentence was handed down by Judge Betty Khumalo at Johannesburg Magistrate's Court after Dlamini was found lying under oath during the Sassa grant inquiry in 2017.

IOL reports that the half of sentence is suspended for five years under the condition that Dlamini is not convicted of perjury. This is the second conviction that the women's league leader faces.

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Dlamini is able to R20 000 for the fine by Friday and the rest must be paid by 29 April, according to Eyewitness News.

South Africans were angered over the ruling

@phili_KaKhumalo commented:

“Wow, but poor Sibongile Mani was never given an option....justice system is failing us, actually, we need to vote out the ANC.”

@KalkulatorLempe shared:

“She just earns only R70000 & R40000 per month, so half of R200k ke R100k. So her fine is just her KNOWN monthly income. I still insist, no politician in SA will ever go to prison.”

@Bujospondo posted:

“There's a big difference between ordinary citizens and parliamentary workers. yerrrr sanyaaaa.”

@MalvinSiziba shared:

“How was it calculated that 200k is equivalent to 4 years. The Judiciary system in SA is turning out to be a joke.”

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@SoYouThink4 added:

“This is defecation of our constitutional democracy. The justice system has clearly been captured. How they get away with this is scary. SA can't depend on SAPS, not the law as well? Favouritism towards top officials who commit the heaviest of financial crimes?”

Former social development Minister Bathabile Dlamini pleads for lesser sentence, found guilty of perjury

Briefly News also reported former Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini has asked the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court for some leniency regarding the punishment she should receive for lying under oath. On Wednesday, 9 March, Dlamini was found guilty of perjury after the court determined that she had lied and given false evidence at an inquiry into the SASSA debacle in 2017.

The social grants scandal saw millions of grant beneficiaries living in the uncertainty of whether or not they would receive their grants.

Dlamini's legal representative, Advocate Tshepo Mphahlane, made submissions to the court following the guilty verdict, asking the court to consider a lesser sentence for Dlamini since she is a pensioner. Her lawyer stated that Dlamini is also a single mother who survives on an income of R110 000 per month, according to TimesLIVE.

Source: Briefly News