Cape Town – The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development aims to open 25 new Small Claims Courts in the current financial year, Deputy Minister John Jeffery said on Friday.
Launching the Khayelitsha Small Claims Court in Cape Town, the Deputy Minister said the department aimed to have such courts open in every magisterial district around the country in a bid of taking service delivery to the door step of all South Africans.
“The Small Claims Courts are an important component of the programme of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.
“They are front line courts because they are at the [centre] of our people’s needs for an accessible, user-friendly justice system,” he said.
The Deputy Minister said his department had already opened 23 of the targeted 25 Small Claims Courts nationally.
He told Khayelitsha and other Western Cape residents, who attended the launch, that out of the 23 courts that have already been established, eight of them were in the province.
“The Western Cape has 44 magisterial districts and we currently have 35 Small Claims Courts in the Western Cape with six additional places of sitting.
“So this means that we have now got 93% of coverage in the Western Cape and in order to be 100% compliant, we need to establish nine new Small Claims Courts,” he said.
He said in 1994, there were only 120 Small Claims Courts nationwide, but they were mostly in former white areas.
He said that today, there were 316 Small Claims Courts around the country, and said the department aimed to have one court of this kind in each of the country’s 393 districts.
“So we are fast approaching our goal of having a functioning Small Claims Court at each of South Africa’s magisterial districts.
“The majority of the new courts and the places of sitting are in rural areas or former black areas,” he said.
Small Claims Courts are used to settle minor civil disputes and claims between parties without representation by an attorney in an informal manner.
An amount not exceeding R15 000 can be claimed at the Small Claims Court. If your claim exceeds R15 000 in value, you can institute a claim for a lesser amount to pursue your case in the Small Claims Court.
“Accessible justice is more than simply building or refurbishing courtrooms. It is about making the entire experience easier and more user friendly.
“Going to court to enforce one’s rights does not have to be a daunting and overwhelming experience,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of residents, Ndithini Tyhido, the chairperson of the Khayelitsha Development Forum, said the opening of the court showed that government was serious about service delivery and about improving the lives of all South Africans. – SAnews.gov.za
