The Democratic Alliance (DA) rejects the SACP's claim that Judge Mogoeng Mogoeng has "found himself caught in the crossfire led by the opposition parties."

The DA has not expressed any view whatsoever on Judge Mogoeng's nomination and will do so only when DA leader Helen Zille gives President Zuma her considered reply to his invitation to comment on Judge Mogoeng's suitability for the Chief Justiceship, and after the JSC has had an opportunity to interview the nominee.

It is therefore nonsense to say, as the SACP does, that our "main intention is to question every decision that the president makes, even when in this case he has merely nominated a candidate and is busy consulting the opposition itself," etc.

The SACP's further assertion that we are engaged in a "strategy" that "is part and parcel of the right centrist liberal offensive directed at our revolution and if not defeated the liberals will run our country without winning elections" is likewise rejected.

We take the judiciary and separation of powers in general, and the Chief Justiceship in particular, so seriously that we declined publicly to express any preference for a candidate before the President announced his nomination precisely because we do not believe the matter should be politicised.

Statement issued by Dene Smuts MP, DA Shadow Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, August 19 2011

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter