Free State courts, prosecutors commended for good work

Magistrates and prosecutors have been lauded for their sterling work despite infrastructure challenges in courts

The Free State head of the national prosecuting authority (NPA), Xolisile Khanyile, has praised the province’s courts for operating effectively under challenging circumstances which include lack of running water, electricity and air conditioning in court premises.

According to Khanyile, prosecutors and magistrate in 22 provincial courts have managed to successfully conclude the majority of cases in their rolls despite the challenges of having to operate without water, electricity and air conditioning.

Speaking at the NPA award ceremony in Bloemfontein last Friday, Khanyile commended magistrates, prosecutors and defense lawyers for having executed their duties diligently despite the challenges they have faced over the years.

“The courts have no or limited amount of water resources, there are no air conditioners and colleagues and witnesses have fainted due to lack of air conditioning. They have, however, managed to work in this type of environment,” said Khanyile. She commended NPA staff for their persistence and disciplined.

“In some courts in the Free State, there is lack of electricity and issues mostly related to non-conduciveness of the court infrastructure.”

Khanyile called on NPA prosecutors at the ceremony to avoid taking easy cases just for the sake of pushing up conviction rates.

“In Botshabelo alone, there has been a lack of finalisation of rape cases, sometimes due to threats made by perpetrators of gang violence.”

She went on to acknowledge and lament lack of upward mobility in the prosecution section of the Free State.

“We have also witnessed that in this province, people remain in the same position for up to 10 to 15 years while in places like Johannesburg, prosecutors have been in the position for three years. This means that those that have worked those many years should be in senior positions,” added Khanyile

She said the centralisation of powers in the NPA national office has contributed to the delay in service delivery in the Free State and added that the province will request the national office to transfer certain powers to the provincial office.

“This will also help speed up processes and help us become hands on with the activities happening in the province,” said Khanyile.