Justice & Constitutional Development Budget Vote 21
Speech by Mr
MA Mzizi MP
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NCOP : 4th June 2008 Chairperson Today's budget should not present a view of the size of the budget, but rather how much we have dispensed justice to the people of South Africa, but we should take stock of changes brought about over the past 15 years since our new democracy came into operation, for the people of South Africa. We have to ask some tough questions. Have we done enough to enable citizens to access justice? Are our court services user-friendly? How far are we with transformation? New courts have been built, but not enough. The new court building in Madadeni, Newcastle, KZN is an outstanding court and the best court structure I have ever visited. All the court services are under one roof - the District Court, Regional, Circuit and Maintenance Courts and many others to serve the surrounding rural areas, as well as CCTV recording facilities for the children's court. Chairperson I should not forget my province, Gauteng. In Alberton, where I live, the court buildings do not belong to the Department of Justice, therefore no renovation can be done. Germiston court has the same status. One particular problem at the Germiston court is the condition of the walls, as well as the roof and ceiling of this building, which leave much to be desired. I did speak to the Provincial DPW to look into the matter, which was not the first time that this problem had been brought to their attention, yet nothing has yet been done. We were told that a place between ZonkiZizwe and Palmreage was earmarked for court construction for District, Regional and other court services, though this has not yet been realised. The IFP is looking forward to the training of Magistrates and other judicial officers in order that justice is disbursed as expected. I hope that the South African Judicial Education Institute Act will be fast tracked to enable the process of training to get off the ground quickly. Another issue that concerns me is the relationship between the Department and the Department of Public Works. I have to question the level of cooperation between the Justice Department and the DPW regarding court construction and courts maintenance. It seems to me that DPW does not always honour its duties 100%, and if this is the case, it should be rectified as soon as possible. Thank you.
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