Magistrates to march to Parliament to protest years of neglect: 'It's not a fight for more money; it's a fight to be heard'

Magistrates across South Africa have launched a series of protests demanding long-delayed reforms to their working conditions and recognition within the judiciary.

The demonstrations, which began in Durban two weeks ago and have now spread to Cape Town, call attention to what magistrates describe as entrenched discrimination and deliberate neglect by those in power.

Protesters will march to Parliament on Wednesday during their lunch hour, seeking answers from President Cyril Ramaphosa after years of silence.

According to Magistrate Deni Leppan, their action is not about pay increases but about fairness and acknowledgement.

"It's not a fight for more money; it's a fight to be heard by the powers that be."

She explained that magistrates have been waiting nearly a decade for a promised major review of their roles and benefits, a process repeatedly delayed due to unfilled positions on the Remuneration Commission.

"We've been waiting to have a major review, which was supposed to take place in 2015. We've been waiting for that for 10 years. The President keeps appointing the interim Remuneration Commission, which is the body that has to look at this major review; they have a four-year term; they don't finish their work; nothing gets done. These people get appointed, their appointments lapse, and we're sitting and waiting for an outcome."

Magistrates argue they share the same training and qualifications as judges, but are denied equivalent benefits such as lifelong salaries and adequate state medical aid.

The magistrates’ frustration has been compounded by what they see as Ramaphosa’s lack of engagement.

Leppan says a petition submitted in December has yet to be acknowledged, prompting the profession to consider regular demonstrations until they receive a formal response.

She added that legal challenges are also pending in the High Court, as magistrates push for recognition as part of a single, unified judiciary rather than being treated as lesser judicial officers.

"We are no longer lay persons like we used to be decades ago. We've been promised by our Chief Justice that we will be acknowledged as local judges, and that is simply not happening.

"I just don't know whether we are going to get the major review and whether we should wait for it or whether we should leave the state and go into private practice.

The issue is that we've been promised something. We've been waiting We don't know whether it's worth waiting any longer."

To listen to Leppan in conversation with Africa Melane on Good Morning Cape Town, click the audio below: