Opening date postponed for new High Court building
The opening date of the Mpumalanga High Court was scheduled for October 4 but has been postponed to December 10.
MBOMBELA – The opening of the Mpumalanga High Court has once again been postponed.
The implementing agent, the Independent Development Trust (IDT), told Lowvelder on Thursday afternoon that the court building is now only expected to be completed on December 10.
COMPLETION DATE:
In March the IDT set the completion date as October 3. At the time the building was 95 per cent complete.
Construction on the R800-million project started in October 2013. It was supposed
to be completed within 24 months.
By December last year a total of R782,7 million had been spent on the project, R24,6 million more than the original budgeted amount of R758,1 million, according to answers obtained from the Department of Public Works.
According to the IDT’s communication and marketing manager, Lesego Mashigo, the initial delays “were caused by contractual matters which have since been resolved”.
Questions about the entrance and exit to the court have also persisted.
ENTRANCE AND EXIT:
Joseph Ngala, City of Mbombela Local Municipality (CMLM) spokesman, said that Samora Machel Drive was identified as the entrance and exit from the inception of the project.
“But for a project like this I can imagine that there needs to be more than one entrance and exit.”
Ngala added that he was not sure where and if an alternative entrance would be constructed.
“The government would not put up a structure like this if there is going to be an issue with the entrance,”
he added.
Lowvelder has reported that the stakeholders had negotiated a possible alternative entrance through the Ehlanzeni FET college in Koraalboom Street. These plans have since apparently been abandoned. The IDT confirmed that the only entrance and exit at this stage will be at Samora Machel Drive.
“A comprehensive traffic impact study for the entrance to the court and the surrounding facilities was conducted and approved by CMLM,”
Mashigo said.
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Stephen Schormann, DA caucus leader, contridicted Ngala’s statement and said that council had instructed the IDT to build an alternative entrance at a later stage.
“I hope the Department of Justice or the IDT does not run away from their responsibility to build an access road through the FET college,”
Schormann said.
He added that they are not surprised by the postponement of the completion date.
ANOTHER BUILDING:
Another building is also being erected next to the High Court.
According to the architect on this project, Jacques Terblanche, it will contain offices and a small portion will be used for parking space for the people working in the building.
“The suspected completion date for this project is the end of April next year,” Terblanche said.
AFFECTS OF DELAYS:
While the construction is ongoing, High Court matters are temporarily being attended to at the Nelspruit and Middelburg Magistrate’s Court.
These two single courtrooms handle both civil and criminal matters.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesman in Mpumalanga, Monica Nyuswa, told Lowvelder previously that the courts were often overloaded, resulting in a knock-on effect and that the completion of the High Court would ease the load.
She felt, however, that the Mbombela and Middelburg temporary courts could cope with the caseloads.
READ MORE ON THE AFFECTS HERE: An incomplete High Court hinders Annatjie Myburgh’s murder case
