Pretoria – The Constitutional Court has dismissed an urgent application by the MK party and its leader, Jacob Zuma, against President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Zuma and the MK party challenged President Ramaphosa’s decision to place Mchunu on special leave, while also asking the court to overturn Firoz Cachalia’s appointment as acting police minister and to scrap the commission of inquiry as unconstitutional and invalid.
According to IOL, the court confirmed Ramaphosa’s power to place Senzo Mchunu on leave and appoint Firoz Cachalia as Acting Police Minister, with Justice Rammaka Mathopo ruling that Zuma and the MK party’s application failed to meet the requirements for direct access or exclusive jurisdiction.
“This is not a matter that falls within this court’s exclusive jurisdiction… nor is it one where the interests of justice favour direct access,” the report quoted Mathopo as saying.
According to The Citizen, he added: “I find that although the applicant’s case for exclusive jurisdiction and direct access is unsuccessful in the constitutional questions they sought to raise were not entirely without merit.
“The jurisdictional claims, though sufficiently pleaded, are not so manifestly hopeless as to warrant costs by watch protection, as that is warranted in the circumstances, and each party should bear their own cost,” Mathopo said.
Each party was ordered to bear its own costs.
The MK party and Zuma have not yet responded to the ruling.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, X and Instagram
Picture: X/@Sli_Masikane
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Betha Madhomu
