Politicians must not sit on the JSC

IN TERMS of section 178(1)(g) of the Constitution, six persons designated by the National Assembly must form the membership of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

This critically vital body is the selection committee that aids in the appointment of judges in South Africa, notably to the Constitutional Court.

Of late, our judiciary has been under siege in many aspects – whether it is criticism levelled at the chief justice or by orders granted that may seem as pretentious as they are controversial or by the very appointment of judges themselves.

But what is becoming undeniably evident is that the highest court in the land is being plagued to adjudicate matters involving political issues and actors who are the actual legislators in the country.

MPs (National Assembly) should not form part of the membership of the JSC.The interrogation of candidates at the JSC by the likes of Malema devalues in many respects, the authenticity of what such an event entails because the political agenda runs rampant. This must cease immediately so as to bolster public confidence. NARENDH GANESH |