Courts to extend hours during World Cup

Wednesday, 03 February 2010
South African courts will operate for 16 hours a day during the World Cup to avoid clogging up the justice system, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development said on Wednesday.

A Fifa 2010 administration of justice blueprint has been implemented to "avoid burdening our existing court rolls with the Fifa tournament cases", said Justice department spokesman, Tlali Tlali.

"We appreciate and took into account the fact that this is a unique situation that attracts tourists from all over the globe and there could be challenges.

"We decided to put measures in place in order to have those cases that may be court-ready finalised as soon as it is possible and practical to do so," Tlali said.

Each court would be allocated two magistrates, two prosecutors and clerks, with the first team working from 8.30am to 4.30pm and the second one working from 4.30pm to 11.30pm.

In addition, 1140 court officials, 35 para-legals, 93 foreign language interpreters and legal aid lawyers would be deployed to all earmarked courts.

"There will not be any mobile courts at the stadia. We will make use of the existing physical infrastructure at our justice facilities.

"Fifty-four dedicated courts - 34 district and 20 regional courts - across all nine provinces, and in particular in all the host cities, will be available to attend to the Fifa tournament-related offences," he said.

There would be four district courts and three regional courts in Limpopo, four district and one regional in Mpumalanga and five district and two regional courts in the Eastern Cape.

Only three courts - two district and one regional - would be located in KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State, while the Northern Cape would have one district and one regional court.

Gauteng was allocated the most courts, with 14 district and eight regional, while the Western Cape would have only two regional courts. Three district courts and one regional court would be operational in North West.

"There will be no leniency and no different standards will apply. Rules of engagement will be observed the same way as will be the case in other courts," Tlali said.

He said the blueprint was the result of consultation with, among others, the police, National Prosecuting Authority, the Legal Aid Board, the judiciary and the Department of Correctional Services. "We [also] met with the Germans," he said.

The courts would start operating two weeks before the June tournament and end two weeks after it ended in July.

"South Africa and the African continent by extension will host an exceptionally successful Fifa 2010 World Cup Soccer Tournament," he said.

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