The Judicial Services Commission (JSC) forced Jacqueline Sande, the legal counsel and public face of disqualified presidential candidate Saviour Kasukuwere, to eat humble pie and issue a formal apology.
In a filmed public address, Sande revealed that the JSC had written her in reaction to her remarks from the 28th of the previous month. These remarks were delivered in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a verdict by the High Court that barred Saviour Kasukuwere from standing for president in the 2023 elections. The following was what Sande said:
I have called upon this press conference as the spokesperson of President Saviour Kasukuwere who was disqualified from contesting in the Presidential elections which were held on the 23rd of August 2023. I confirm that despite the elections having been done I still hold such mandate. The reason for this press conference ladies and gentlemen is that I received a letter from the Judicial Services Commission on the 18th of August 2023 registering a complaint pertaining to the utterances that I made following the dismissal of the appeal by President Saviour Kasukuwere on the 28th of July 2023.
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Sande mentioned that she was asked to issue a public apology and retract her previous statement. After thoughtful consideration and seeking advice from her colleagues, Jacqueline Sande decided that issuing a public apology was the appropriate course of action. She apologized to the judges involved in her client’s case and expressed her commitment to more responsible behaviour in the future.
“I was asked to retract the words I said and make a public apology pertaining to the same. I have carefully considered my utterances and sentiments and sought wise counsel from colleagues pertaining to same. Now therefore, Chief Justice, Judges of the Constitutional Court, Judges of the Supreme Court and in particular Justices Guvava J.A, Bhunu J.A and Chatukuta J.A and all Judges of the High Court together with the entire family of the Judicial Service Commission, I Jacqueline Sande a senior practitioner and founder of the firm Sande Legal Practice hereby retract all the utterances I made during the press conferences which were found to be in bad taste or to be disrespectful to the judiciary and which were circulated on Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms on the 28th of July 2023. I accept that in my passion on behalf of my Principal, I may have gone too far as an officer of the court and the words I said may have come across as disrespectful of the bench.I unreservedly tender my sincere apologies and further, I unconditionally retract the words that were found to be so disrespectful or contentious of the bench and the entire judiciary. Going forward I shall be mindful that my primary and ethical duty lies in the courts,” Jacqueline Sande said in the video.
You can watch her apologizing below:
The Kasukuwere spokesperson and Lawyer Jacqueline Sande has apologised to the Judicial Service Commission for the utterances made on 18 August 2023 prior to the general election. pic.twitter.com/YZbyPMqzLk
— Cindy Soko (@SokoCindy) August 30, 2023
