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27 February 2009

As part of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development's continuing efforts to provide access to justice to rural and peri-urban areas, Minister Enver Surty will officially open the Pongola Circuit Court in KwaZulu-Natal.

The R10 million project started in February 2006 with the final delivery and site handed over on 18 February 2009.

With the revamped building, the court will render effective and efficient justice services while it will further accommodate a district court, a regional court and a high court with ample offices to accommodate prosecutors, assessors, clerical support staff and police services. The court, which caters for 119 977 population, also offers family law services including maintenance, domestic violence, Children's Court, Small Claims Court and Equality Court.

The building is user friendly to all public members, vulnerable group, poor, destitute children in the interest of Justice for all. The Pongola Circuit Court has been used for numerous high profile cases like the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) 26 cash-in-transit heist cases and cases involving taxi factions because of the security infrastructure at the court. These cases were transferred from the Durban and Pietermaritzburg High Courts.

Pongola is one of the oldest courts in KwaZulu-Natal which has been operating from an old hostel formerly used to live migrant workers during the Apartheid in the 1960s. The hostel was then taken over by the Department of Justice for court operations in 1967.

The project is one of the department's initiatives to provide and ensure access to justice for all.

Enquiries:
Brigitte Shabalala
Cell: 082 461 5535

Issued by: Department of Justice and Constitutional Development
27 February 2009
Source: Department of Justice and Constitutional Development
http://www.doj.gov.za/)