The Foundation Calls on the Government to Ensure the Safety of Investigative Officers of Court

29 July 2024

The FW de Klerk Foundation calls on the government to ensure the safety of investigative officers of the court. This comes after the attempted assassination of Adv Naudé, who was acting for SARS in a high-profile tax inquiry. Earlier this year, the Foundation called upon the State to ensure the safety of the judiciary when it was revealed that a third of magistrates were threatened or harmed in 2021/2022.

Christo van der Rheede, Executive Director of the FW de Klerk Foundation, stated, “This violent, cowardly act aims to intimidate legal officers and obstruct the administration of justice. It is a direct assault on the rule of law and the integrity of our judicial system.”

“We depend on the courts and lawyers for the protection of our basic individual rights – the most significant of which are enshrined as justiciable rights in the Bill of Rights. Without a secure judiciary, things very quickly fall apart,” says Daniela Ellerbeck, Manager of Constitutional Rights at the Foundation.

“To this end, we must ensure that officers of the court and judicial officers can perform their duties without fear for their safety. The State’s failure to protect these officers, especially those acting for the State in high-risk cases, undermines the founding value of the rule of law and the right to access to justice,” affirms Ismail Joosub, Legal Officer at the Foundation.

The Foundation calls on law enforcement agencies to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice and urges the government to implement measures to identify “at risk” legal and judicial officers and to implement protective measures to ensure their safety. “It is imperative that we do not allow justice to be derailed by criminals. The government must take immediate action to implement comprehensive security measures to prevent future incidents,” added van der Rheede.

The FW de Klerk Foundation stands in solidarity with Adv Naudé and all judicial officers who risk their lives for justice. We extend our wishes for her speedy recovery.

Issued by FW de Klerk Foundation, 29 July 2024