Zuma: Criticise the judiciary

2008-09-09 17:43

Johannesburg - ANC president Jacob Zuma said that although the judiciary is accepted as the final arbiter of dispute, it is not above criticism.

"It can't be said you can't criticise the judiciary. That is what is being said in South Africa. That is not right," he said at the University of Johannesburg on Tuesday.

"But, the criticism should be fair and should be informed. That is very important."

Zuma said it was "only in dictatorships and autocracies that criticism is viewed with contempt".

He said South Africa, as a 14-year-old democracy, is going through a learning curve and still internalising fundamental principles of democracy. Debates would help this process.

The judiciary is a pillar of a stable society and "to destabilise it would mean we are cutting our noses to spite our face".

He said that it was unavoidable that tensions would be raised now and again between courts, the executive, political parties or the individual. When tensions become unpalatable restraint should be shown.

"We must not jump to conclusions that the judiciary is under attack," he said.

Zuma said he was "still subject to a decision by the judiciary" so could not elaborate much, but he believed that once tensions had been resolved everybody should be like sportsmen "after a gruelling game and shake hands".

He was if he thought there could be a conflict of interest if he had to appoint Constitutional Court judges who may hear an application by him.

He responded that the judges go through an application process run by an institution (the Judicial Services Commission) which believed in their integrity.

"So people should have no worries, absolutely no worries about that."

- SAPA