EFF statement on Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s utterances regarding the composition of Judicial Service Commission
29 April 2022
The EFF condemns the utterances of Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, who in an interview with the South African Broadcasting Co-Operation (SABC), expressed a desire to have the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) comprised of more Judges.
In a blatant misrepresentation of the spirit and letter of our democracy, Zondo has claimed that as a sitting Chief Justice, he would prefer more Judges to sit in the JSC, than politicians.
These utterances undercut the intention and role democratically elected leaders are envisioned to play in a critical institution such as the JSC. This is because the politicians who sit in the JSC are elected by the people of South Africa, to ensure that their will which is expressed through the ballot, finds place in the highest levers of power.
In essence, this means that politicians who represent the democratic will of the people sit in a process to recommend the appointment of Judges, who will preside over the laws that govern the people.