IFP: RESIGNATION OF CHIEF JUSTICE A TRAGEDY THAT COULD'VE BEEN AVERTED

The resignation of the Chief Justice is a tragedy which should have and could have been averted. I conveyed to the ANC that the manner with which the President sought to extend the term of office of the Chief Justice was unconstitutional, and did so before raising the issue publically. It could have been corrected right then and there.

In resigning, the Chief Justice has proven to be a man of integrity who sacrificed himself to give us all the example of integrity to protect the integrity of our institutions. This is the type of integrity which is lacking in the other quarters of our Republic where this problem has been engendered. In the Justice Committee the entire opposition tried to address the problem by means of a bill, which the ANC would not consider.

We must take heed of the importance of that for which the Chief Justice has sacrificed himself. It is the lesson that the Constitution must be more important than any person holding office under it. It is time to stop tinkering with the Constitution, acting unconstitutionally and bending legality to one's own political ends. The resignation of the Chief Justice opens an institutional crisis which can only be addressed by a stronger commitment to uphold and defend the Constitution.

The Justice Committee must wait for the judgment of the Constitutional Court and take guidance from it before taking any additional step in any given direction.

Statement issued by Dr Mario Oriani-Ambrosini MP, Inkatha Freedom Party, July 27 2011

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