Quote of the week
Mr Zuma is no ordinary litigant. He is the former President of the Republic, who remains a public figure and continues to wield significant political influence, while acting as an example to his supporters… He has a great deal of power to incite others to similarly defy court orders because his actions and any consequences, or lack thereof, are being closely observed by the public. If his conduct is met with impunity, he will do significant damage to the rule of law. As this Court noted in Mamabolo, “[n]o one familiar with our history can be unaware of the very special need to preserve the integrity of the rule of law”. Mr Zuma is subject to the laws of the Republic. No person enjoys exclusion or exemption from the sovereignty of our laws… It would be antithetical to the value of accountability if those who once held high office are not bound by the law.
Secretary of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State v Zuma and Others (CCT 52/21) [2021] ZACC 18
Cosatu, Squires and the SCA
The five judges of the Supreme Court of Appeal must feel rather embarrased this morning after Judge Hilary Squires informed us all that he never said that there was a generally corrupt relationship between Schabir Shaik and Jacob Zuma. But they would not be the first judges to make technical mistakes in a judgment and will definitely not be the last.
It is therefore absurd for Cosatu to call for the impeachment of the five judges involved. Nothing much turns on the use of this phrase and for the SCA judges to have used it, is at most a personal embarrasment for them.
Cosatu’s call is highly irresponsible. Because of the perceived short term political gain, they are castinga spersions on five judges of the highest court in non-constitutional matters. It is inevitable that their silly call will be beleived by some – especially Jacob Zuma supporters and this will undermine the legitimacy of the judiciary.
IT seems to suggest that Cosatu will do anything – even destroying the constitutional system – in order to get Zuma elected president. Once a principles and progressive organisation, they are becoming handmaidens of corruption.
