Klerksdorp Court in shambles: DA lodges formal complaint and requests immediate intervention
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in North West conducted an oversight inspection at the Klerksdorp Magistrates Court in the PC Pelser Building, Klerksdorp after we received numerous complaints from the public about the terrible and inhumane conditions there.
The DA will lodge a complaint under the Occupational Health and Safety Act with Minister of Labour and the Department to conduct an intensive inspection of the state of the building. In addition, we will submit written questions in Parliament to the Minister of Public Works on the state of maintenance at the building and how contracts for maintenance and renovations have been awarded and the specific cost incurred over the last five financial years.
The building is old and dilapidated, toilets are not working properly, and the air-conditioners are out of order since they were installed. We will ask detailed questions on money spent on tenders and maintenance here as it seems as if there might be a flood of corruption taking place when tenders are allocated and no significant maintenance can be seen.
Temperatures in the court are excruciating in summer and drops to below ten degrees in winter.
It is shocking to learn how disabled people need to be carried up the stairs in their wheelchairs by SAPS members and security staff as the old lifts are out of order since last year.
The elderly, disabled and ill people have trouble getting up the stairs and this resulted that cases had to be postponed to courts in surrounding towns.
The building is not conducive to a favourable working environment for the staff, lawyers, public, safety officers and police who are supposed to fulfil a very important responsibility to contribute to law and order in South Africa.
We also learned that this has an impact on the morale and health of all staff here. We were told that water shortages and sewage problems lead to the stench in the court building.
Due to the high work volumes at the maintenance court application office, women with babies, have to spend long hours waiting in queues to have their applications facilitated.
There are simply no proper facilities, such as diaper changing facilities, to assist the women during this already traumatic process. They need to breastfeed and change their babies in the court corridors.
Water interruptions are not the exception here and it means visitors have no access to water while waiting in line for hours despite temperatures spiking to over 40 degrees in Klerksdorp.
This brings serious sewage overflow.
At some places, the broken windows were replaced using only duct tape to hold them in their frames.
The parking area is often flooded. The building was built on a natural spring and we were told that the pump needed to keep the foundation dry, is out of order. The pavements surrounding the building is hazardous.
The broken ANC government is not contributing to a safe, favourable work environment for the staff and public in the PC Pelser Court Building.
In order to promote and ensure that people enjoy recourse through an equitable justice system, it is vital the facilities are maintained in pursuit of this. We urge both the National Ministers of Public Works and Labour to investigate the situation at the Klerksdorp Magistrate’s Court and to take the required action to rectify the host of problems we have identified today with the urgency it deserves.
You can download the pictures here, here, here and here
Statement issued by Joe McGluwa, DA North West Premier Candidate, 19 February 2019
