Against the Tide by Steven Friedman

A court ruling declaring load shedding unconstitutional has been loudly cheered but it is more a problem than a solution. The fact that the government is not doing a good job does not mean that what it does is unconstitutional. If the courts declare all government mistakes breaches of the constitution, we will be ruled by a small group of judges, not the representatives we elect.    

This is the view of my latest Against the Tide column sent to subscribers this morning. To read it, visit the Against the Tide website and subscribe. If you can't afford to subscribe, contact us at info@againstthetide.co.za to discuss a free or reduced subscription.

Steven Friedman is a public commentator and an academic, currently employed as a Research Professor at the University of Johannesburg. He has been writing on South African politics for the entire democratic period both as a scholar and public commentator. He has published books on South Africa’s transition to democracy, the role of the trade union movement, and current South African politics. He has also written columns and articles for several South African newspapers. His writing seeks to use academic research to shed light on current politics but to ensure that this is conveyed in a way easily understood by people who have no academic training.