Dissolve Parliament and call for new polls

Johannesburg - In one judgment, in one hour, in one historic moment, Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng spoke for the pained hearts of millions of South Africans, saying in effect about the capriciousness of Jacob Zuma: “Enough is enough.”
Rare are the moments when a judge has spoken with such clarity on the most vital threat to a nation’s existence.
We know of Senator Howard Baker’s famous rhetorical question about Richard Nixon’s attempt to cover up for his illegality during Watergate: “What did the president know, and when did he know it?”
Justice Mogoeng's stinging repudiation of Zuma was best captured in his description of the public protector as the “biblical David that stood against the Goliath” of impropriety and corruption of government officials.
As soon as Justice Mogoeng began taking us on a tour de force of constitutional jurisprudence I knew trouble was coming Zuma’s way, and deservedly so.
Justice Mogoeng’s demeanour as he delivered the judgment was striking. It was the greatest judicial take-down of a sitting president in memory - administered with the serenity and calmness of a man who was conscious of the gravity of the moment.
He knew he had an entire nation and a watching world behind him.I hung on each and every word, and the message was unmistakable: Zuma had violated his oath of office.
Justice Mogoeng’s rebuke extended beyond Zuma to include the National Assembly.
The irony is that his ruling is not only against the ANC caucus for its complicity in Zuma’s illegality.
As a constituent part of Parliament, even the parties that brought the matter to court are sullied by the judgment.
Just in case no one was listening, Justice Mogoeng was telling us we are deep in the throes of a constitutional crisis.
The logical and sensible way out is to dissolve Parliament and call for new elections.
The ANC should move its headquarters from Saxonwold back to Luthuli House.
All those who clapped and laughed along with Zuma should hang their heads in shame and walk gently into the sunset.
One of the lowest moment of this Parliament was when Naledi Pandor, the granddaughter of ZK Matthews, the esteemed intellectual and originator of the Freedom Charter, stood up to sing praises for Zuma.
Surely she had enough authority and pedigree in the party to be the one to point to his wayward conduct?
But then again, as Justice Mogoeng repeatedly reminded us, we do well to put our trust in institutions over individuals.A new generation of ANC leaders who know how to think institutionally must rise within the ANC if the party is to survive another day.