Civil society groups have condemned Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s recent comments on the South African justice system and Constitution, accusing her of attempting to sully the legitimacy of the country’s constitutional order, and the idea of the rule of law, further stating it was a shameful exploitation of the plight of so many in the country.

In an article written in her personal capacity, Sisulu questioned the Constitution and whether it had done enough to deal with structural issues brought about by apartheid and she also questioned the moral standing of the country’s judges.

Civil society said as a prominent member of government, Sisulu would have had a uniquely clear view during the years of State capture of the deliberate restructuring of the South African State to serve the interests of a subset of the country’s political class at the expense of ordinary South Africans, especially the poor and vulnerable.

The group added that Sisulu should know that it is not the judiciary which legislates and implements government policy, but Parliament and the executive. They said to attempt to blame the judiciary for government’s failures was the most cynical exercise in blameshifting.

Civil society is calling for Sisulu to be repudiated in the strongest terms.

The group noted that her demand for an overhaul of the judiciary represents a dangerous and regressive call to render it responsive to the whims of a political elite.

“The very foundation of our constitutional democracy rests on the rule of law, which in turn depends for its health and tenacity on a fiercely independent and impartial judiciary at all levels. Calls to pack our courts with persons who would privilege political expediency over legal principle represent a clear threat to the judiciary’s ability to uphold the Constitution,” the group said.