Mogoeng, Zuma to meet over remarks on judiciary

Presidency Spokesperson, Bongani Majola said in a statement the meeting is scheduled for August 27.

"Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng requested the meeting to discuss the concerns of the judiciary pertaining to relations between the two arms of the state," he said. 

Mogoeng said in July that he wanted to meet Zuma, following "unfair attacks on the courts".

"Judges are open to criticism, but it should be fair, specific. General, gratuitous criticism is unacceptable," he said.

Police Minister Nathi Nhleko recently told senior managers from the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) that there were "interesting" elements in the judiciary who "meet with characters to produce certain judgments". He did not mention specific cases.

ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe expressed concern about what he claimed was the judiciary interfering with the executive and the legislature. He called this "judicial overreach". He made the remarks on July 2, following a five-day summit of the ANC, SACP, Cosatu, and Sanco.

"There are already commonly expressed concerns that the judgments of certain regions and judges are consistently against the state, which creates an impression of negative bias," Mantashe said.

The government ignored an order handed down by the High Court in Pretoria on June 15, instructing it to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir while he was in South Africa attending an African Union summit.

The order followed an urgent application brought by the South African Litigation Centre that South Africa execute an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Bashir, so that he could face charges of crimes against humanity and genocide committed in Darfur.

(File photo: Gallo Images)