For residents of Hermanus seeking an affordable and accessible way to resolve civil disputes, the local Small Claims Court (SCC) provides a valuable community service that many may not fully understand or utilize.
Established in 2010, the Hermanus SCC brought justice closer to home for local residents who previously had to travel to Caledon for small claims matters. The court has since become an integral part of the local legal landscape, with seven Hermanus attorneys currently serving as commissioners.
The court welcomed a new commissioner on 17 October; Anton Coetzee was sworn in to join the bench. This appointment comes as the court prepares to bid farewell to a veteran of the system. Commissioner Henning Vil-
joen, who currently chairs the Advisory Board, will be retiring at the end of this year after an impressive 35 years of service in Small Claims Courts, spanning his time in both Pretoria and Hermanus.
The SCC handles civil claims up to a maximum value of R20 000. For claims exceeding this amount, plaintiffs must be willing to abandon the excess to proceed – for example, a R25 000 claim would require abandoning R5 000 to fall within the court’s jurisdiction.
Any person over 18 can file a claim against another individual, though claims against government entities or municipalities are not permitted. While companies and other juristic persons cannot sue in the SCC, they can be sued as defendants.
