
By REGINALD KANYANE
6 May 2025- The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it will continue to put pressure on the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to restore court services to the Galeshewe community. This comes after the due date for the re-operationalisation of the Galeshewe Magistrate’s Court building in Kimberley has shifted again.
The DA Member of the Select Committee on Security and Justice and Member of Parliament (MP), Ofentse Mokae, said they have written to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mamoloko Kubayi, who indicated that, the root cause of the structural integrity-related issues has yet to be determined and that a contractor is not likely to be appointed before January 2026. Mokae said there is thus neither a scheduled practical completion date for the structural defects project, nor a scheduled inspection date from the Department of Labour for subsequent lifting of the prohibition notice.
“This is contrary to previous assurances that the court building would be re-opened in the current financial year. We are tired of empty promises and a lack of transparency in relation to the true state of the court building.
“The court building was shut down by the Department of Labour in July 2023, due to structural defects posing a safety risk to staff and the public. Court services were temporarily provided at Galeshewe Police Station before being moved to the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court in January 2024,” he said.
Mokae further said the situation places financial strain on Galeshewe residents, who must travel into the city to access court services. He added that the additional load has also put the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court under pressure, aggravating court backlogs.
“I will continue raising this matter in Parliament and in the select committee of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), seeking answers and accountability.
“I will also insist that the department provides the committee with a mitigation strategy to address the growing court bottleneck that has developed as a result of the Galeshewe Court’s closure,” said Mokae.
He said while the fate of the current Galeshewe court building hangs in the balance, justice for the Galeshewe community cannot.
Meanwhile, Kubayi said: “Various investigations were conducted by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI). The building shows several structural issues, including plaster detachment from reinforced concrete surfaces, cracking and movement in both the brickwork and concrete, particularly around the expansion joints, and noticeable movement within the expansion joints themselves.
“These signs suggest potential underlying problems with structural integrity and settling. A thorough inspection is recommended to identify the root cause and assess the overall condition of the structure, particularly in the areas of plaster, cracking, and expansion joint movement.”
Kubayi said a project has been registered with DPWI to address the identified defects leading to the visible cracks in the building. She said the DPWI is in the process of appointing Structural, Mechanical Engineers and an Occupation Health and Safety Agent, the appointment process is anticipated to be concluded by September 2025.
“A service provider to execute the project will be appointed after the completion of the sketch plan, designs and Bills of Quantities. The appointment of Structural, Mechanical Engineers and an Occupation Health and Safety Agent will determine the extent of damage to the facility and will also provide the estimated figures to rectify the structural damages to the court.
“The exact figure will only be known once the service provider is appointed to undertake the remedial work. It is anticipated that the project will be completed after a period of 6 months (pending thorough assessments by professional service providers) depending on the contractor’s appointment date, after all SCM processes have been finalized,” said Kubayi.
She said the contractor is anticipated to be appointed in January 2026. According to Kubayi, court will be officially opened when all the defects have been addressed, contract completion date and practical completion of the project taken, with an inspection from the Department of Labour for confirmation and lifting of the notice.





