Civil Society Groups Band Together to Criticise Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu for Attack on the Judiciary

• Minister of Tourism Lindiwe Sisulu is still on the receiving end of backlash for her comments about the Constitution and the Judiciary
• In an opinion piece published in an online media publication, Sisulu blamed the Judiciary for the socioeconomic ills of South Africa
• A group of civil society organisations have come together to call out Sisulu and say she is deflecting accountability

JOHANNESBURG - The Minister of Tourism Lindiwe Sisulu's open letter critiquing the Constitution and the Judiciary was not well received by a few civil society groups.

They have called her opinion piece regressive and dangerous.

In her open letter titled "Hi Mzansi, have we seen justice?" which was published by IOL, Sisulu lambasted the Constitutional text for failing to aid poor black South Africans. She also stated that the Constitution is a neoliberal document inspired by foreign policy as a colonial construct.

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Sisulu also attacked the Judiciary, claiming that judges are mentally colonised Africans. She went on to say that these judges have adopted a worldwide view and rather have the mindset of people who have "dispossessed their ancestors," according to City Press.

Civil society groups such as Judges Matters, the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, the Helen Suzman Foundation and many more have together to defend the Constitution and call out Sisulu for her attacks.

The groups say Sisulu cannot blame South Africa's socioeconomic ills on the judiciary when she knows that Parliament and the government are in the position of implementing policies and not the courts.

“To attempt to blame the judiciary for their failures is but the most cynical exercise in blame-shifting,” they said.

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By blaming the judiciary, the groups believe Sisulu is attempting to forgo the accountability of people working within public offices when they carry out crimes.

Some South Africans support Sisulu

@MashuroMashuro1 said:

"Lindiwe is right, she deserves a Bells. Those criticising her dine with Ramaphosa and they are seeing that she wants that higher office and is campaigning indirectly. As we saw Zondo came to save his master, Cyril. Don't back down girl, Lindy."

@TPaco007 said:

"I stand by her Lindiwe my darling you're right."

Others think Sisulu speaking out is suspicious

@hiltandchuckdog said:

"The presidency shouldn't distance itself from Sisulu's comment, it should distance Sisulu from the cabinet."

@111ad012271d472 said:

"She feels entitled to anything because she is from the Sisulu family. She strongly believes that because her parents were people of the highest integrity, she can simply inherit that integrity from her parents without working for it."

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Lindiwe Sisulu compares colonialism to organised crime, South Africans upset by poverty comments

Briefly News previously reported that Lindiwe Sisulu, the Minister of Tourism, wrote an article in which she questions if South Africa experiences true justice despite the promises enshrined in the Constitution.

Sisulu argues that 'legal' is a relative term and that the rule of law is not always applied correctly in South African courts. She expanded her view to include topics such as poverty.

In her article, published by IOL, Sisulu refers to South Africa as "a sea of African poverty." She blamed these circumstances on colonialism, which she compared to organised crime with solely economic motivations.

Source: Briefly News