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.
Open letter and statement on Janet Love
As constitutional lawyers, legal academics, human rights and social justice activists who have worked with Janet Love while she has been the National Director of the Legal Resources Centre (LRC), we are surprised and dismayed by Premier Helen Zille’s implication that she will not act independently of narrow party politics in her capacity as a human rights commissioner.
During the last five years, Janet Love has been the National Director of the LRC. In the face of a gradual decrease of grant funding for human rights work, she has fought to secure its survival. Despite competition from the private sector and the LRC’s inability to pay competitive salaries, she has succeeded in attracting talented lawyers to continue the LRC’s long tradition of human rights litigation and advocacy.
Under the leadership of Janet Love, the LRC has fought fearlessly for the rights of the poor and powerless, without favour to the ANC or any other political party. During this period, the LRC has for example undertaken the following litigation and advocacy:
That record speaks for itself. It shows that Janet Love has not hesitated to promote human rights by litigating against and criticising government at all levels, whichever party is in power.
We are therefore concerned that Ms Zille has criticised the SA Human Rights Commission in a manner which does a grave injustice to someone who has repeatedly demonstrated her commitment to human rights in South Africa. In the process, she has also undermined the LRC, which is one of South Africa’s oldest and most widely respected human rights organisations.
Signatories
1. Adv Geoff Budlender SC
2. Adv Richard Moultrie
3. FatimaHassan
4. ZackieAchmat
5. GavinSilber
6. AdvWimTrengoveSC
7. AndrewFeinstein
8. Professor Halton Cheadle
9. Bishop Paul Verryn
10.Gerald Kraak
11.Professor Jonathan Klaaren
12.Professor Hugh Corder
13.Professor Pierre de Vos
14.Adv Nasreen Rajab-Budlender
15.Asha Ramgobin
16.Jacob van Garderen
17.Adv Steven Budlender
18.Adv Stuart Wilson
19.Dr Jackie Dugard
20.Judge Kathie Satchwell
21.Dr Rachel Wynberg
22.Doron Isaacs
23.Nathan Geffen
24.Audrey Elster
25.Lindiwe Tukani
26.Judith February
27.Professor Richard Calland
28.Zubeida Jaffer
29.Rose Williams
30.Reynaud Daniels
31.Ashraf Mahomed
32.Advocate Adila Hassim
BACK TO TOP