The Helen Suzman Foundation says that South Africa will only be able to regain its democracy if parliament and the executive take back their powers.
The foundation argues in court documents it filed with the Constitutional Court on Wednesday. The foundation believes that the government should take back its powers and not allow the country to be ruled by a single minister.
According to court documents, Parliament and Cabinet have failed in their duty over the past two months and allowed minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to rule the country during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Disaster Management Act gives the minister diverse powers during something like a pandemic. And while it is justified to give these powers to the minister due to a sudden threat like the COVID-19 outbreak, that separation of powers can only last for a while until Parliament and Cabinet can fulfill their legal and executive duties, the court documents.
The foundation says they had no choice but to approach the court so that a court order can be obtained which forces them to withdraw their power.
According to a statement, the Constitutional Court recently said that Parliament is the “voice of the people, especially the underprivileged, those who have no vote and who have been forgotten”. The foundation wants to get Parliament back on track.
