Our Constitution is under siege, says DA
As South Africa celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Constitution, the DA on Sunday suggested that the founding document for the country was in fact in danger.
“Under the ANC, our Constitution is under attack,” the opposition party’s leader, Mmusi Maimane, said in a statement.
“[President] Jacob Zuma and his government have violated our Constitution at every turn. From the president himself, to Parliament, to the ministers of police and public works, our Constitution has been treated like it's an optional inconvenience.”
Last month, the Constitutional Court ruled that Zuma – and the national assembly – had failed to uphold the Constitution when they did not comply with Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's remedial action regarding the non-security upgrades to his Nkandla homestead.
These actions, said Maimane, both “undermined” and “placed in jeopardy” the country’s democracy.
Praising the Constitution as “the living, breathing document which bestows rights and responsibilities on all South Africans”, Maimane said that the constitution should be “revered and respected, not just for its content, but for the manner in which it came about.
“Out of darkness, South Africa became the pioneers of hope. So many lost their lives in the struggle to see the freedom that our Constitution brings.”
(File Photo)