SA’s judges prove their worth

Tballot. view. HE country’s judiciary this week again dem- onstrated why this arm of government is widely trusted. The perception is that when our higher courts make rulings, they do so on behalf of the citizens of this country and are furthering the common good. Our Constitutional Court ruled that the speaker of the National Assembly has the power to order a secret ballot in a vote of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma. Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, in a unani- mous judgment, did not interfere in the affairs of Parliament and order the speaker to hold a secret Instead the judges advised Parliament that it has a constitutional responsibility to serve the people by holding the executive branch of government to account. The judgment can be interpreted as gently nudg- ing MPs to put their obligations to the nation ahead of blind loyalty to the parties who selected them to go to Parliament. This is even more so in the case of the speaker, Baleka Mbete, who has once more to juggle the hot potato and decide whether to hold a secret ballot and risk her career and Zuma’s, should ANC MPs break ranks. The dismissal of former finance minister Pravin Gordhan and downgrading of the country to junk status, the Gupta email revelations of the success of their state- of- capture strategy, the threat to bankrupt the country through pursuing the nu- clear energy spend, the recession and rise in un- employment, have all led to public impatience for an end to Zuma’s era. Contrast the wisdom of our judges with the over- stepping of her powers by Public Protector Busisi- we Mkhwbane, who directed Parliament to change the constitution in order to curtail the independ- ence of the Reserve Bank. Wisely, Parliament was having none of it and is taking her findings on re-