Johannesburg - Cosatu says public officials who bring “frivolous” legal matters before the courts should be made to pay from their own pockets, and not to force taxpayers foot the bill.
The federation’s remarks follow President Jacob Zuma’s court case to interdict former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s State of Capture Report, the interdict was later withdrawn by the president’s lawyers.
Ministers Des van Rooyen and Mosebenzi Zwane also attempted to halt the release of the report by launching urgent court interdicts.
Cosatu said on Thursday, although it did not mention the president or the minister by name, accused public officials of abusing taxpayers’ money by taking unwinnable cases to the courts.
The federation, which is the ANC’s alliance partner, supported the call made by opposition parties that those wasting public funds in court cases should be made to pay from their own pockets.
“The South African government under this administration at all levels has become a pot of gold and a boom for the legal fraternity. It has become a norm for government representatives to pay lawyers to go to court to fight matters on legally unsound matters,” said Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla.
Cosatu also laid the blame on government legal advisors who give “unsound” legal advice” and called for them to be removed from the state’s payroll.
“The legal system is not a tool for politicians to hide their nefarious activities and for grey bureaucrats to hide their mediocrity and incompetence. We cannot allow our tax monies to be wasted when millions of South Africans are going hungry every day,”said Pamla.
Although various political parties have shared their reactions following the release of the Public Protectors “State of Capture Report”, Cosatu said it was still “studying” the report and would give a full response soon.
It said that it would discuss the report at its Central Executive Committee meeting at the end of the month.
Labour Bureau