The Democratic Alliance (DA) will continue to put pressure on the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to restore court services to the Galeshewe community, after the due date for the re-operationalisation of the Galeshewe Magistrates’ Court building in Kimberley has shifted again.
A written reply received from the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development indicates that the root cause of the structural integrity-related issues has yet to be determined and that a contractor is not likely to be appointed before January 2026. There is thus no scheduled practical completion date for the structural defects project, nor a scheduled inspection date from the Department of Labour for subsequent lifting of the prohibition notice. This is contrary to previous assurances that the court building would be re-opened in the current financial year.
We are tired of empty promises and a lack of transparency in relation to the true state of the court building.
The court building was shut down by the Department of Labour in July 2023, due to structural defects posing a safety risk to staff and the public. Court services were temporarily provided at Galeshewe Police Station before being moved to the Kimberley Magistrates’ Court in January 2024. The situation places financial strain on Galeshewe residents, who must travel into the city to access court services. The additional load has also put the Kimberley Magistrates’ Court under pressure, aggravating court backlogs.
I will continue raising this matter in Parliament and in the select committee of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), seeking answers and accountability. I will also insist that the department provides the committee with a mitigation strategy to address the growing court bottleneck that has developed as a result of the Galeshewe Court’s closure.
While the fate of the current Galeshewe court building hangs in the balance, justice for the Galeshewe community cannot.