'If judges are not respected we're going to descend into chaos': Archbishop Thabo Makgoba

“Mr President, if judges are not respected in SA, we're going to descend into chaos.”

That was the warning from Archbishop Thabo Makgoba of Cape Town on Monday, when he urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to use his state of the nation address (Sona) on Thursday to “send a clear signal that attacks on judges have to stop”.

The call follows criticism of high court judge Dhaya Pillay for issuing a warrant of arrest for former president Jacob Zuma, after the court queried a sick note handed in by his legal representatives last week.

Edward Zuma, the eldest son of Zuma, lambasted the Pietermaritzburg High Court, labelled the judgment handed down by Pillay as “nonsensical” and accused the judge of being “biased” and “good friends” with public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan. The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal also criticised the issuing of the warrant.

The archbishop appealed to Ramaphosa in a statement to “draw a line on the sand” on attacks on the judiciary.

“When you speak on Thursday, you speak not as leader of the ANC, but as the leader of the nation,” he said.

“I appeal to you, out of respect for the constitution and the rule of law, please send a clear signal that attacks on judges have to stop. It would give confidence to the judges that they can do their jobs without interference, and it would give confidence to all of us.

“It is critical to the future of our nation that we keep our hands off the judicial system. The courts must be respected. And we must give the NPA (National Prosecuting Authority) space to do their work in a thorough, unrushed way, so that we don’t have botched convictions which are overturned on appeal,” he said.