The shenanigans at the Constitutional Court involving one legal analyst Ismail Abramjee are worrisome, especially his alleged knowledge of the pending outcome pertaining to the rescission application by Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.

All this is indicative of the system broken into and infiltrated by a rogue clique with cronies who know no justice. Methinks the aberration exposed a culture of manoeuvring besetting the judiciary and politics behind it. In fact, it reveals that the system has sunk into the abyss.

It also explains why Mkhwebane has so many enemies who gun for her. For they want her replaced by someone without any moral inclination to hold the powerful accountable. That’s why they are hellbent on evading accountability, inventing legal technicalities to shield donations fraught with predetermined benefits from public scrutiny.

The one extreme is the obsession with secrecy actuated by the desire to throw moral values out of the window. Another is the hiding of public interest information from citizens for ulterior motives. That’s utter violation of the public trust.

Yet courts give secrecy the legitimacy to manifest itself in corruption, which perpetuates a myriad of problems affecting every facet of life in society. Simply put, a dangerous precedent has been set by allowing politicians beholden to the powerful to keep suspicious patronage secret.

Many others would do the same to ward off any possible criminal proceedings against them and get away with murder. Because the judiciary arrogated to itself the power to give elected officials carte blanche to hide behind legalities for political expediency, they always escape being shamed out of public office.

Needless to say we’ve grown accustomed to deceit and disgrace, with character flaws allowed to supersede the moral significance of ethical leadership in society. It’s not surprising the nation is experiencing moral decay.

-Morgan Phaahla, Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni