W Cape gets community courts
Karen Pretorius
8 December 2004
Deputy Justice Minister Johnny De Lange on Tuesday officially launched three community courts in Mitchell's Plain, the Central Business District, and Fezeka in Gugulethu in Cape Town as part of the government's efforts to root out crime.
The establishment of the courts is a result of a directive issued by President Thabo Mbeki in his State of the Nation Address earlier this year.
De Lange said the courts were a new tool to be used in government's fight against crime. "For a long time petty criminal activities were not dealt with as vigorously as they ought to be," he said.
He said the courts will function as district courts and act against petty crimes such as theft, offences relating to drug and alcohol abuse, flouting of municipal by-laws, and shoplifting.
De Lange said the community courts would ease the pressure on the magistrates' courts who will devote their time to more serious crimes.
De Lange added that 27 possible
sites have been identified countrywide at which community courts would be developed.
Eight pilot projects have also begun operating in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, Bloemfontein and Phuthaditjaba in the Free State, Kimberly in the Northern Cape, KwaMashu in KwaZulu-Natal, Thohoyandou in Limpopo, Orlando in Soweto, and Point in Durban.
He said these courts will focus especially on the rehabilitation of offenders and offer alternatives to imprisonment such as imposing fines, community service and correctional supervision.
"It is no use that we impose fines or sentences in relation to petty matters that result in the person in question going to jail simply because they cannot afford fines," he added.
He urged the community to be actively involved in the courts, and praised the private sector for their involvement.
The Director for Public Prosecutions in the Western Cape, Rodney De Kock said the community courts will aim for a one-day turnaround time for
cases.
All stakeholders such as correctional services, social workers, lawyers and non-governmental organisations will have representatives based at the courts.
"We will prevent a situation of creating long backlogs and drawn-out postponements that we have in traditional courts," De Kock said.
He said since the community court in Mitchell's Plain became operational on 22 November, it has dealt with 270 new cases, returning 100 guilty verdicts, one diversion and no acquittals.
In Gugulethu there has been 200 cases, 108 guilty verdicts, eight acquittals and eight diversions.
The community court in the CBD received 50 new cases on Tuesday, its first day of operation, with 32 cases finalised and 11 diversions.
De Kock said added that the effectiveness of the courts in the province will be evaluated by the end of March 2005.
Source: BuaNews
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