Thousands expected outside ConCourt

Thousands of people are expected to descend on the Johannesburg CBD today for the Constitutional Court hearing on whether President Jacob Zuma is liable to pay for the non-security upgrades at his Nkandla private home, notes a report in The Mercury. The EFF and the DA, along with the civil society organisation Corruption Watch, were also expected to argue that the powers of the office of the Public Protector were enforceable, as per the recommendations on the Nkandla probe. Yesterday, COPE announced that its president, Mosiuoa Lekota, would lead his party’s delegation. ‘The issue before the Constitutional Court is of pivotal importance to SA. The Public Protector has to have real power to protect ordinary South Africans against pushy politicians seeking to destroy our constitutionally guaranteed safeguards,’ COPE spokesperson Dennis Bloem is quoted as saying. ‘Remedial actions proposed by the Public Protector cannot be wilfully ignored by those in power because they are against them. If those powers were rendered ineffectual, politicians would become untouchable and corrupt to the very core.’ The EFF has said thousands of its supporters will gather in Mary Fitzgerald Square before they march to the court in Braamfontein.

Full report in The Mercury (subscription needed)