Just In: Bathabile Dlamini Sentenced to 4Years in Prison or a fine of R200 000, What’s your take?

Bathabile Olive Dlamini, is the leader of the African National Congress Women’s League and a member of the ANC National Executive Committee. She was previously the Minister of Women in the Presidency, and Minister of Social Development.

In 2018, Dlamini was found guilty of perjury after the Constitutional Court indicated that there was sufficient evidence to prove that she gave false evidence when she testified before the inquiry. She lied under oath at the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) crisis inquiry in 2017.

Today the 1^st of April 2022, Dlamini has been sentenced, the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court has given her an option, the R200 000 fine has been imposed or four years in prison, with half of either of the two suspended.

Bathabile Dlamini will have to pay R20 000 today the 1^st of April 2022. She has to pay the remaining R180 000 by the 29th of April. Should she not do so, she will be sent to prison.

She was asked to appeal within 14 days

The Twitter users expressed their concern saying that Sibongile Mani should have been given the opportunity just like Bathabile Dlamini to pay the fine than being sent straight to prison. In June 2017, Mani was accidentally paid an amount of R14 million instead of R1,400 by Cape Town-based company, Intellimali. Dlamini, was given an option of either 4 years imprisonment or a R200 000 fine. If she chooses 4 years imprisonment 2 years will be suspended.

Everyone wants the criminal justice system to be fair. Whatever one’s values, political affiliations, background or ideology, an unfair criminal justice system is a faulty criminal justice system.

Determining whether the system is fair and effective begins with the question, “Compared with what?” Compared with historical benchmarks? Compared with public expectations? Whatever the case might be, the system falls far short in both areas.

The chances a judge will sentence a man to prison are far greater than the chances a judge will sentence a woman to prison. One reason is that men are far more likely to be convicted of violent crimes for which a long prison sentence is expected.

In this case, the comparison is between a student, Sibongile Mani, and the former minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini. What’s your take? This is what Twitter users have to say.