CHENNAI: Justice Zak Yacoob, a retired judge of the South African Constitutional Court, warned that the “dangerous” blending of religion and policy threatens the core of democracy.
Speaking at the Arappor Iyakkam office in Nungambakkam on Monday, he delivered a lecture titled ‘Free and Fair Elections: The South African Experience’, drawing parallels between his country’s history and the current challenges faced by India and Tamil Nadu.
Justice Yacoob observed that despite laws promoting equality, deep-seated communal tensions remain a major hurdle for fair elections. He noted that political parties often exploit these divides to stay in power.
The retired judge also described corruption as a “deadly” systemic failure fuelled by collusion between big business and law enforcement. To show the human cost, he cited the assassination of Babita Deokaran, a whistleblower in South Africa who was killed after exposing a multi-million-rand hospital scam. The theft of these funds left patients sleeping on floors while essential medical equipment was never purchased.
Criticising modern election laws for lacking day-to-day accountability, Yacoob argued that voters should not have to wait five years to hold leaders responsible. He challenged Chennai’s young lawyers to choose their “conscience” over high salaries to help the poor find justice. Encouraging a slow but steady social change, he stated, “The fact is the job is possible; it being very hard doesn’t mean it is impossible.”
The event was attended by human rights advocates Sudha Ramalingam and V Suresh, along with Arappor Iyakkam convenor Jayaram Venkatesan.