Pretoria - From a young age, former International Criminal Court (ICC) Judge Sanji Mmasenono Monageng thought about justice.
During the time of apartheid in South Africa many refugees fled the country to Botswana where Monageng was born. Because of this, the apartheid government would invade her country time and again to kill and abduct people fighting for liberation.
These atrocities stirred in her a hunger and thirst for justice, which has not been satiated despite her latest role as Botswana’s ambassador to SA.
Monageng, 72, was among 18 ambassadors who have come to SA to serve in diplomatic missions for their countries.
President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed the ambassadors at Sefako Makgatho presidential guest house in Pretoria earlier this month.
The legal eagle was born in Serowe village in Botswana.
“I thought about justice (from a young age) because I come from a community whose norms are tradition, custom and the rule of law. This was part of our make-up,” she said.
She feels that justice means redress for survivors of crime and atrocities.
“Botswana as a neighbour to SA, at the height of apartheid hosted refugees running away from SA and the brutal system of segregation and racism.
“Time and time again the then-SA government would invade Botswana and kill people. As a result I lost many friends and members of my family because of the brutality,” she said.
Monageng said she remembers the injustices and pain as if it were yesterday.
“Justice matters to me because without it there can never be any redress for survivors of brutality,” she said.
Monageng obtained a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Botswana, and started her legal career as a magistrate in Botswana. Among many other positions she has held, she has been a judge in Botswana since 1989.
She has a belt of accolades that span many years, including being elected as a commissioner in the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in 2003.
In 2007 she was elected as chairperson of the commission itself.
The structure is embedded in the AU.
Monageng would then preside over cases of alleged international criminals when she was elected as an ICC judge in 2009 by the court’s assembly of state. Monageng was part of the panel of judges that issued a warrant of arrest for the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and his son.
It was Monageng who announced in 2011, at The Hague, that the two and others where wanted for crimes against humanity committed against their political rivals in Libya.
She vacated the position as ICC judge after her nine-year term ended in 2018.
According to the ICC, Monageng was the first vice-president of the ICC in 2012 for three years.
Her accolades also include serving as high court judge in the west African country of The Gambia and Swaziland where she was responsible for criminal and civil cases, including constitutional cases.
She also boasts membership the International Association of Women Judges, the International Commission of Jurists and the International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law.
Some of the other commissioners who were welcomed by Ramaphosa earlier this month include envoys from the Philippines, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Federal
Democratic Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Norway, Austria, Belgium, The Gambia, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of East Timor, Slovenia, Japan, Commonwealth of Australia, Mozambique, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Syrian Arab Republic and St Kitts and Nevis.
Pretoria News