Judiciary attacks are unacceptable
President Jacob Zuma and those around him claim they respect the judiciary.
Bathabile Dlamini. Picture: DoC
They went for deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa in a frenzied way after he said he believed the story of the woman who accused Zuma of rape.
The Zuma camp’s assertion was that Ramaphosa’s comments were tantamount to contempt of court, because the President was acquitted on those charges.
Yet, his footsoldiers have no problem in launching strident attacks on the judiciary when it suits them – and it suits them when Zuma is at the receiving end of a court judgment.
That was the case this weekend, with two extraordinary assaults on the judiciary – by Social Development minister Bathabile Dlamini and by ANC Youth League leader Collen Maine.
Both attacks were related to Friday’s face-slap ruling for Zuma, which not only overturned his appointment of Shaun Abrahams as National Director of Public Prosecutions, but prevented Zuma from appointing anyone in that post as long as he serves as president.
Dlamini claimed “judges make the South African government look like it is controlled by the judiciary”, adding “we plead with judges to be neutral if they want us to respect them”.
She also said there was “no justice” in the Abrahams judgement.
Maine was worse, in warning judges: “We rose against Absa and apartheid. Will rise against you.” It goes without saying that any such attacks on the judiciary must be condemned in the strongest terms, because they are an assault on one of the fundamental pillars of our democracy.
Dlamini and Maine crossed a line with what they said and Zuma should, as their leader, bring them to book. But we are not holding our breath on that …
The judiciary is the only real check we have against Zuma’s unbridled use of his executive powers. We cannot allow him and his cronies to render it toothless.
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