Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi
SCORE: D
It hasn’t been exactly a sterling year for Kubayi, particularly the tail end of it. One fumble that will stick in many people’s minds is how she recently suggested that Marius van der Merwe, a witness killed after testifying at the Madlanga inquiry into corruption in the criminal justice system, left himself exposed by declining protection.
The DA rightly condemned this as “an outrageous and disgraceful attempt to shift blame onto the victim, and away from the criminals who pulled the trigger, and the government that has left whistleblowers exposed for years”. Kubayi has dismissed criticism over the composition of the panel which recently oversaw interviews for the country’s next national director of public prosecutions.
But given the importance of the post, and the recent unimpressive antics of outgoing director Shamila Batohi, Kubayi would do well to be more open to constructive criticism around this crucial process. Critics have also highlighted how water and power cuts have contributed to delays in court proceedings and case backlogs.
Kubayi has outlined wide-ranging reforms to modernise courts, update ICT systems, improve accountability, and expand public access to justice. Fingers crossed. The minister will want to quickly forget how she had to issue an apology after unauthorised court papers were served on UN special rapporteur Francescaa Albanese during a visit to South Africa.