It should concern the ANC that the courts keep having to direct government to implement its own policies better‚ President Jacob Zuma said on Friday.

Giving his opening address at the 5th National Policy Conference he bemoaned the use of the courts by opposition parties when they do not like a decision taken by the majority (the ANC) in Parliament.

“Why in a democracy must we spend money to go to court for everything... is that the democracy we want?” he asked.

“When the opposition is defeated they say ‘ok we are going to court’. A debate in parliament these days ends up in court.”

Zuma said this is counter to democracy.

He also accused opposition parties of using money to fight democratic matters in court.

The ANC has recently accused the judiciary of overreaching.

“We should improve our capacity to implement our programmes without the courts having to direct us to do so‚” Zuma said.

Turning to Parliament‚ he said it had become “politics of spectacle and grandstanding‚ drama and manipulation“.

Zuma said the ANC had to ask itself whether it had honed the skills to manage this and the growing attempts to draw a wedge between the executive and the ANC parliamentary caucus.

The United Democratic Movement turned to the Constitutional Court in a bid to have the vote on the motion of no confidence in Zuma held by secret ballot.

Opposition parties were of the view that if ANC MPs were able to vote with their conscience and through a secret ballot they would remove Zuma.

The ANC caucus however says this will not happen.

The Constitutional Court last week ruled that the decision to hold a secret ballot sat with National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete‚ who is also the ANC national chairwoman.