PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa must pay the court costs of his failed appeal relating to former president Jacob Zuma’s hiring and firing of ministers.
The decision has its sequel to a midnight cabinet reshuffle by Zuma that saw Pravin Gordhan and Mcebisi Jonas being fired from the finance portfolio in 2017.
READ: MALEMA TAKES INSOURCING FIGHT TO PARLY!
Gordhan was replaced as finance minister by then home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba. Then deputy finance minister Jonas was replaced by Sfiso Buthelezi.
The DA had applied for an order to compel Ramaphosa to give reasons for appointing and dismissing ministers. When the president didn’t comply, the DA went to court.
“The High Court granted the order and the president then approached this court to provide legal clarity,” said Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng as he delivered the judgment at the Constitutional Court in Braamfontein, Joburg, yesterday.
The application to challenge the dismissals were withdrawn by both parties so it didn’t have practical value. While the presidency did withdraw the appeal, Mogoeng ruled it was still in the public interest to uphold a High Court judgment ordering the president to give reasons for firing of ministers.
Mogoeng said the issues between the parties were political and needed a deeper probe to do justice to them.
