Question NW2125 to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
07 July 2022 - NW2125
Breytenbach, Adv G to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
In light of the fact that the Waterval Magistrates’ Court in the Makhado Local Municipality in Limpopo has been non-functional since 2019 due to a complete lack of telephones, what measures have been put in place to rectify the situation?
Reply:
I have been informed by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJ&CD) that the PABX-system was installed by ITEC through a Departmental contract on 2 November 2018. At the expiry of the contract, the license was not renewed, and it started malfunctioning in August 2019.
In April 2021, Brilliantel Communications was appointed to supply and install PABX systems (including 3 years’ maintenance and support) in all the DoJ&CD sites, including all the courts.
Calls were logged from April 2021, and subsequently Brilliantel Communications visited the site on 7 February 2022. The service provider advised that the system is dead and needs replacement. This is one of the sites affected by contract management issues, i.e. affected by lapsed contracts.
In addressing the problem, the site has been scheduled for the installation of new PABX-system by 6 June 2022. I have been informed that the PABX-system was installed at the relevant court on 2 June 2022.
Whilst the Department was waiting for the new PABX-system to be installed as scheduled, and to minimize the impact of non-functional phones onsite, the Head of Office and all Magistrates, Court Manager as well as the Domestic Violence/Harassment Clerks applied for cellphone allowance and were approved to participate in the cellphone allowance policy.
END