Sheppie’s new magistrate’s court opens
It is located near Port Shepstone Primary School and boasts 16 courtrooms.
After delays caused by intimidation from business forums, poor performance by contractors, Covid-19 pandemic restrictions and more, the Port Shepstone Magistrate’s Court was officially opened last Thursday.
The new multi-million rand state-of-the-art court was officially handed over to Ray Nkonyeni Municipality by the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Sihle Zikalala, together with the Justice and Constitutional Development Minister, Ronald Lamola.
Now located near Port Shepstone Primary School, Zikalala said the new court boasts 16 courtrooms, including a high court, six district courts, regional courts, two sexual offences courts, two civil courts, two family courts and an equality court.
Meanwhile, Lamola said the building delivered by the Department of Public Works is what they expected.
Also, Lamola said the opening of the court is a welcome development since it will bring relief in terms of infrastructure, it will also enable the court to provide comprehensive services to the community.
“There are also specialised courts such as the sexual offences court, child maintenance court, family court and equality court. There is also an admin section, prisoners’ quarters and parking for both the public and staff,” he said.
The new building has been welcomed by Dr Prenisha Sugudhav Sewpersadh who has been at the old Port Shepstone Magistrate’s Court for over 20 years.
She said although the court has been long awaited, the wait has been worth it.
She explained that there is a huge difference between the old and the new court.
“The challenges at the old court were many, the infrastructure was quite bad, poor maintenance and inaccessible to the public. What is heartwarming to see is that the new court is a one-stop shop, it brings together a vast array of services within the justice department and I think that it is going to serve the people of the Ugu District. I think ultimately, it is the servants in the courts that will ensure that the court serves its purpose,” she said.
Meanwhile, the new facility was welcomed by both Ugu District Municipality’s deputy mayor Mandla Chiya and the mayor of Ray Nkonyeni Municipality, Zodwa Mzindle.
Chiya told Fever that he hopes the issue of backlogs when it comes to cases will now come to an end.
“As Ugu we would like to thank the government and both the ministers who handed over this facility. This will not only benefit the people of Ugu but anyone who is seeking justice,” said Chiya.
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