President Cyril Ramaphosa says every South African has the right to approach the courts and even he, as president, could never stand in the way of anybody exercising that right.
In his weekly newsletter on Monday, the president said: "While we would prefer to avoid the need for any legal action against government, we should accept that citizens who are unhappy with whatever action that government has decided on implementing have a right to approach our courts for any form of relief they seek.
Since the start of this crisis, a number of people have exercised their right to approach the courts," Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa said there has been, and will continue to be, robust and strident critique of a number of aspects of government's national response to the coronavirus, from the data modelling and projections, to the economic effects of the lockdown, to the regulations.
"Just as government appreciates that most court applicants are motivated by the common good, so too should we recognise that the decisions taken by government are made in good faith and are meant to advance, and not to harm, the interests of South Africans."
