Question NW2005 to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
28 June 2022 - NW2005
Msimang, Prof CT to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
Whether, with reference to the recent presentation by Legal Aid South Africa to the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services, wherein the Committee was informed of the dire situation faced by Legal Aid South Africa due to budgetary constraints, he will furnish Prof C T Msimang with a detailed breakdown of the total number of vacancies that currently exist at Legal Aid South Africa if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
a) As at 31 March 2022, Legal Aid SA had a total of 221 vacancies out of 2 689 budgeted positions. This translates to 91, 8% Staffing level vs an APP Target of 95% and 8.2% vacancy rate.
Table1: Vacancies as at 31 March 2022
|
Province |
Budgeted Posts |
Recruited Positions |
Vacant Positions |
Recruitment Percentage |
|
Gauteng |
493 |
464 |
29 |
94.1% |
|
Eastern Cape |
405 |
373 |
32 |
92.1% |
|
Free State |
194 |
184 |
10 |
94.8% |
|
North West |
145 |
143 |
2 |
98.6% |
|
KwaZulu-Natal |
419 |
365 |
54 |
87.1% |
|
Limpopo |
174 |
167 |
7 |
96.0% |
|
Mpumalanga |
171 |
150 |
21 |
87.7% |
|
Western Cape |
369 |
337 |
32 |
91.3% |
|
Northern Cape |
106 |
88 |
18 |
83.0% |
|
National Office |
213 |
197 |
16 |
92.5% |
|
Overall Nationally |
2 689 |
2 468 |
221 |
91.8% |
b) As at 20 May 2022, Legal Aid SA has a total of 176 vacancies out of 2699 budgeted positions. This translates to 93,5% Staffing level vs an APP Target of 95% and 6.5% vacancy rate.
Table 2: Vacancies as at 20 May 2022
|
Province |
Establishment |
Filled Positions |
Vacant positions |
Percentage filled |
|
Gauteng |
494 |
471 |
23 |
95.3% |
|
Eastern Cape |
406 |
380 |
26 |
93.6% |
|
Free State |
193 |
180 |
13 |
93.3% |
|
North West |
146 |
140 |
6 |
95.9% |
|
KwaZulu-Natal |
421 |
394 |
27 |
93.6% |
|
Limpopo |
175 |
169 |
6 |
96.6% |
|
Mpumalanga |
172 |
156 |
16 |
90.7% |
|
Western Cape |
369 |
345 |
24 |
93.5% |
|
Northern Cape |
109 |
94 |
15 |
86.2% |
|
National Office |
214 |
194 |
20 |
90.7% |
|
Overall nationally |
2 699 |
2 523 |
176 |
93.5% |
c) To cushion the 2021/2022 budget cut of R182,027,000 and the envisaged MTEF 2022/2024 baseline reduction of R352,623,000, Legal Aid SA reduced its establishment by 119 positions (91 legal practitioners and 28 support staff) in 2021/2022.
In addition, Legal Aid SA implemented various cost cutting measures to optimize available resources. This includes the reduction of Employee Benefits, operational and capital expenditure budget and minimal use of consultants. Table 3 below depicts abolished positions per province.
Table 3: Abolished positions in 2021/2022: Vacant Posts Abolished from the Establishment April 2021
|
No. |
Province |
Local Office |
Position |
|
Eastern Cape |
Butterworth |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Eastern Cape |
Butterworth |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Eastern Cape |
Butterworth |
Legal Practitioner - Civil Level 2 |
|
|
Eastern Cape |
East London |
Legal Practitioner - Civil Level 2 |
|
|
Eastern Cape |
Grahamstown |
Legal Practitioner - DC |
|
|
Eastern Cape |
Grahamstown |
Legal Practitioner - Civil Level 2 |
|
|
Eastern Cape |
King Williams Town |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Eastern Cape |
King Williams Town |
Administration Officer |
|
|
Eastern Cape |
Mthatha |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Eastern Cape |
Mthatha |
Legal Practitioner - Civil Level 2 |
|
|
Eastern Cape |
Port Elizabeth |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Eastern Cape |
Port Elizabeth |
Administration Officer |
|
|
Eastern Cape |
Port Elizabeth |
Legal Practitioner - DC |
|
|
Eastern Cape |
Port Elizabeth |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Eastern Cape |
Port Elizabeth |
Legal Secretary |
|
|
Eastern Cape |
Uitenhage |
Legal Practitioner - DC |
|
|
Eastern Cape |
Uitenhage |
Legal Secretary |
|
|
Total for Eastern Cape |
17 |
||
|
Free State and North West |
Bethlehem |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Free State and North West |
Bethlehem |
Legal Practitioner - Civil Level 2 |
|
|
Free State and North West |
Bloemfontein |
Legal Practitioner - HC |
|
|
Free State and North West |
Bloemfontein |
Supervisory Legal Practitioner - Criminal |
|
|
Free State and North West |
Bloemfontein |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Free State and North West |
Bloemfontein |
Legal Practitioner - RC |
|
|
Free State and North West |
Bloemfontein |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Free State and North West |
Bloemfontein |
Legal Practitioner - DC |
|
|
Free State and North West |
Bloemfontein |
Legal Practitioner - Civil Level 1 |
|
|
Free State and North West |
Bloemfontein |
Legal Secretary |
|
|
Free State and North West |
Botshabelo |
Legal Practitioner - DC |
|
|
Free State and North West |
Botshabelo |
Legal Practitioner - RC |
|
|
Free State and North West |
Mafikeng |
Legal Practitioner - DC |
|
|
Free State and North West |
Mafikeng |
Administration Officer |
|
|
Free State and North West |
Mafikeng |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Free State and North West |
Phuthaditjhaba |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Free State and North West |
Welkom |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Free State and North West |
Welkom |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Free State and North West |
Potchefstroom |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Free State and North West |
Rustenburg |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Free State and North West |
Welkom |
Legal Practitioner - RC |
|
|
Free State and North West |
Lichtenburg |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Total for Free State and North West |
22 |
||
|
Gauteng |
Benoni |
Supervisory Legal Practitioner - Criminal |
|
|
Gauteng |
Benoni |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Gauteng |
Ga-Rankuwa |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Gauteng |
Ga-Rankuwa |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Gauteng |
Ga-Rankuwa |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Gauteng |
Ga-Rankuwa |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Gauteng |
Johannesburg |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Gauteng |
Johannesburg |
Legal Practitioner - HC |
|
|
Gauteng |
Johannesburg |
Legal Practitioner - RC |
|
|
Gauteng |
Pretoria |
Legal Secretary |
|
|
Gauteng |
Soshanguve |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Gauteng |
Soweto |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Gauteng |
Soweto |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Gauteng |
Tembisa |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Total for Gauteng |
14 |
||
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
Durban |
Legal Practitioner - RC |
|
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
Durban |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
Durban |
Legal Practitioner - RC |
|
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
Empangeni |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
Empangeni |
Legal Practitioner - RC |
|
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
Empangeni |
Administration Officer |
|
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
Newcastle |
Administration Officer |
|
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
Pietermaritzburg |
Legal Practitioner - RC |
|
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
Pietermaritzburg |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
Pietermaritzburg |
Office Assistant |
|
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
Pietermaritzburg |
Legal Practitioner-HC |
|
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
Pinetown |
Legal Practitioner - DC |
|
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
Port Shepstone |
Legal Practitioner - RC |
|
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
Port Shepstone |
Administration Officer |
|
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
Umlazi |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
Umlazi |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
Verulam |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
Verulam |
Legal Practitioner - DC |
|
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
Verulam |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
Vryheid |
Office Assistant |
|
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal Total |
20 |
||
|
Limpopo and Mpumalanga |
Ermelo |
Legal Practitioner - Civil Level 1 |
|
|
Limpopo and Mpumalanga |
Ermelo |
Administration Officer |
|
|
Limpopo and Mpumalanga |
Middelburg |
Legal Practitioner - DC |
|
|
Limpopo and Mpumalanga |
Nelspruit |
Administration Officer |
|
|
Limpopo and Mpumalanga |
Nelspruit |
Legal Practitioner - DC |
|
|
Limpopo and Mpumalanga |
Nelspruit |
Paralegal - HC |
|
|
Limpopo and Mpumalanga |
Polokwane |
Legal Practitioner - Civil Level 2 |
|
|
Limpopo and Mpumalanga |
Polokwane |
Legal Practitioner - RC |
|
|
Limpopo and Mpumalanga |
Polokwane |
Legal Practitioner - DC |
|
|
Limpopo and Mpumalanga |
Tzaneen |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Limpopo and Mpumalanga |
Witbank |
Legal Practitioner - DC |
|
|
Limpopo and Mpumalanga |
Witbank |
Legal Practitioner - Civil Level 1 |
|
|
Limpopo and Mpumalanga Total |
12 |
||
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
Athlone |
Legal Practitioner - RC |
|
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
Athlone |
Administration Officer |
|
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
Athlone |
Legal Practitioner - Civil Level 1 |
|
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
Bellville |
Legal Practitioner - RC |
|
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
Bellville |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
Caledon |
Administration Officer |
|
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
Cape Town |
Receptionist/Typist |
|
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
Cape Town |
Legal Practitioner - HC |
|
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
Cape Town |
Legal Practitioner - HC |
|
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
Cape Town |
Legal Practitioner - HC |
|
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
Cape Town |
Legal Practitioner - Civil Level 1 |
|
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
Colesberg |
Legal Practitioner - DC |
|
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
George |
Legal Practitioner - RC |
|
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
Kimberley |
Paralegal |
|
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
Kimberley |
Legal Practitioner - DC |
|
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
Stellenbosch |
Office Assistant |
|
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
Stellenbosch |
Administration Officer |
|
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
Upington |
Legal Practitioner - RC |
|
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
Upington |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
Vredendal |
Legal Secretary |
|
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
Worcester |
Legal Secretary |
|
|
Western Cape and Northern Cape |
21 |
||
|
National Office |
Communications |
Intern |
|
|
National Office |
Communications |
Intern |
|
|
National Office |
Legal Development |
Admin Officer/Librarian |
|
|
National Office |
Legal Development |
Legal Practitioner - Civil Level 2 |
|
|
National Office |
National Ops |
Legal Support Practitioner |
|
|
National Office |
National Ops |
Legal Training Administrator / Coordinator |
|
|
National Office |
National Ops |
Administration Officer |
|
|
Total for National Office |
7 |
||
|
Overall Total Nationally |
113 |
Table 4: Abolished positions in 2021/2022: Vacant Posts Abolished from the Establishment in May 2021
|
No. |
Province |
Local Office |
Position |
|
Eastern Cape |
Mthatha |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Free State & North West |
Mafikeng |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Kwa-Zulu Natal |
Newcastle |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Limpopo and Mpumalanga |
Nelspruit |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Limpopo and Mpumalanga |
Polokwane |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Limpopo and Mpumalanga |
Witbank |
Candidate Attorney |
|
|
Total |
6 |