Recently, public attacks against the Constitution, the judiciary and judicial processes have been made by senior political figures within South Africa. The authority of the Courts has been brought into question and criticised while a leaked audio recording of criticism against the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture (the Zondo Commission); the Chairperson of the Zondo Commission – Deputy Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, Judge Raymond Zondo and the action against the former President of the Republic, Jacob Zuma; has emerged.
The continued ability of the judiciary to conduct its work independently and for all judicial action to remain independent and free of fear or favour, is essential for the functioning of our constitutional democratic dispensation.
The SAHRC will, as part of its strategic focus for the next five years, focus on the impact of corruption on human rights. Corruption is a major impediment to development, the alleviation of poverty, the establishment of economic equality and the delivery of socio-economic rights and services for all within South Africa.
Testimony presented at the Zondo Commission, exposing the extent of State Capture, has been shocking and exposes the true nature and impact of widespread corruption within the State. The Zondo Commission has the potential to assist the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to hold to account individuals and entities in the private sector, within the State and at all other spheres to. This is essential in ensuring that those responsible for corruption are held to account and, hopefully, to deter all those considering such acts in the future.
Therefore the SAHRC welcomes the progress made by the Zondo Commission and calls on senior officials of political parties, including those within the governing party, to ensure that independent judicial processes are left unfettered by party politics. The Commission calls on political parties, the State and all within South Africa to protect the independence of the judiciary and judicial processes, as these exist to protect the interests and the rights of all within South Africa.
Ends
Issued by the South African Human Rights Commission

Gushwell Brooks – Communications Co-ordinator Tel: 082 645 8573 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.