Justice Dept seeks urgent repairs for 14 flood-damaged courts

As the country worked to tally the damage caused by the recent inclement weather conditions, the persisting infrastructure challenges in the country’s courts have now worsened.

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development said that at least 14 courts in Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal had been affected by the recent floods.

Five courts in Limpopo were completely shut down due to the extent of the damage.

After a week of heavy rainfall in parts of the country, the already glaring infrastructure failures in some courts have now been exacerbated.

READ: Severe weather damage disrupts services at 14 courts across SA

The Justice Department said five courts in Limpopo had to be completely closed, adversely affecting the administration of justice.

Deputy Director-General for Court Administration Lucky Mohalaba said they had approached Public Works for assistance.

"Which includes the provision of urgent technical assessments of the courts that are affected, secondly, the prioritisation of emergency repairs and remedial work," Mohalaba said.

On Sunday, the severe weather conditions were classified as a national disaster, meaning all spheres of government must pull together to address the crisis.

Mohalaba said that following Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi’s request to Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson, they were hoping to have contractors working at all affected courts over the next two weeks.