Greater urgency is requested in addressing the growing court backlog resulting from the closure of the Galeshewe Magistrates’ Court building in Kimberley, in July 2023.
Ofentse Mokae, DA MP, said while he had been given assurance that the court would be reopened in the coming financial year, he remains concerned that this matter has not been adequately prioritised since the facility’s closure 20 months ago.
The building was shut down by the Department of Labour due to structural defects posing a safety risk to staff and the public. In the interim, court services were provided at the Galeshewe Police Station – before being moved to the Kimberley Magistrates’ Court from 15 January 2024.
Mokae stated during a committee meeting the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development indicated that a team of the Department of Public Works would be at the facility to complete the final assessment of the structural defects in April, after which work will commence.
The situation is untenable, as the heightened burden on the Kimberley Magistrates’ Court has created a bottleneck and is delaying justice and postponing the important task of getting criminals behind bars, he said.
“The situation also carries a cost factor for the Galeshewe community, who must spend more money on taxifares to travel into the city centre, to attend court proceedings.”
