Today all South Africans can celebrate two judgments, one by the Constitutional Court which took firm control of the country’s social grant distribution system and the other by the Pretoria High Court in finding General Ntlemeza, national Head of the Hawks, unfit for office and setting aside his appointment.

Freedom Under Law (FUL) was actively involved in both cases, with the Black Sash in the SASSA case and with the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) in the Ntlemeza application.  FUL will shortly be issuing a statement concerning the SASSA matter.

Here we wish to underline why HSF and FUL are particularly gratified by the Ntlemeza judgment. It has been a long and uphill struggle, commencing towards the end of 2015 and involving a failed attempt about this time last year to persuade Judge Tuchten that the removal of General Ntlemeza had to be urgently considered. Now, after the case was argued in December 2016, three judges have unanimously upheld our contention that the general’s appointment was unconstitutional and invalid.

It is to be hoped that the Minister will accept the judgment and proceed to find a suitable person to fill this vital niche in our criminal justice system.

Issued by Freedom Under Law