Judge Masipa, The Woman Behind The Pistorius Verdict
When Donald Trump starts tweeting about a 66-year-old black woman, its time to stop and ask, who is she?
This was the question on a lot of people’s mind as Judge Thokozile Matilta Masipa got ready to deliver her verdict in the Oscar Pistorius trial. When I woke up at 3 a.m. to write this post and typed Masipa into the twitter search bar, my twitter feed became an instant buzz of activity, as new Masipa tweets came in by the milliseconds. According to Trendinalia on Friday, “Judge Masipa” was a trending topic in the United Kingdom for 4 hours. This woman has got the world talking.
Born in a black township outside Johannesburg, Judge Masipa has come a long way in her journey to a place of prominence in South Africa’s legal fraternity. Growing up under apartheid has no doubt shaped her mission to contribute to the building of her country.
The BBC‘s African correspondent, Andrew Harding, who, as reported in a previous Inquisitr article, was clearly impressed with her, highlights her humble beginnings when she worked as a clerk, a messenger and tea girl. Her struggle to break racial barriers was influenced by her mother, who encouraged her to pursue higher education. She did just that, earning a degree in social work, and went on to become a firebrand journalist, during which time she was briefly imprisoned for reporting on the atrocities of apartheid. She eventually studied law at the University of South Africa and was admitted as an advocate in 1991.
In 1998, she became South Africa’s second black female judge, appointed by no less than the father of the nation, Nelson Mandela. In her interview with Andrew Harding, she speaks of the future with bold optimism.
“I think we’re going somewhere. We still have a long way to go, obviously, but… we’re making a difference. It’s a tough place to be, because for a long time it was only men who sat here.”
Her sense of control and composure during what was an intensely emotional trial was nothing short of phenomenal. She knew that the world was watching and that this trial was an ultimate test of the South African legal system.
CNN, in profiling her, took note of the fact that she not only displayed prudence in her concern for Pistorius during his bouts of emotional breakdowns but also demonstrated firm resolve in maintaining an orderly trial.
Judge Masipa, a naturally private and reserved person, has been thrusted into the limelight, pronouncing a verdict that has stirred a range of responses.
Say what you will of her, Judge Masipa’s handling of the Pistorius trial will be a shining beacon for many young African girls and will echo in the halls of history.
[Image from BBC]
