NELSPRUIT – A well-respected acting magistrate of the Sexual Offences Court is facing the axe again. This after Magistrate Mr Roelf Smith had his three-month contract terminated. It has not yet been renewed.
In January local NGOs were outraged by the news. After a national meeting in Pretoria with all the provinces’ residential magistrates and the deputy minister of justice and constitutional development,
Mr John Jeffery, Smith’s contract was renewed for another three months.
A source told Lowvelder that the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court had previously received numerous complaints before he was reinstated. Smith, who has been greatly supported by the community due to his fairness with regard to justice, told the paper he had been working as an acting magistrate in the Lowveld for eight years.
He confirmed that his contract had not been renewed, thus April would be his last month in office.
In order to find out why Smith has not been reinstated, and to question the process with regard to acting magistrates gaining permanent employment, Lowvelder had previously attempted various times to contact the Regional Court president,
Ms Naomi Engelbrecht telephonically. It had also visited her office, but these attempts were fruitless.
Smith, who holds four degrees in law and is also a qualified advocate, said he had dedicated his life to serving the people and was frustrated every time as he did not know where he stood workwise.
“I earn two thirds of what I could in the public sector, so my family and I make great sacrifices for me to continue, and we do not even have medical aid.”
Even Child Welfare operations manager, Mr Johan Bosch, had stated that as a child-protection organisation, it was angered and saddened by the fact that Smith would be leaving the bench.
He said the magistrate had been involved in various cases with regard to child abuse and gender-based violence, and was committed to seeing that justice was served.
“Child-abuse and sexual-offence cases are rapidly increasing in South Africa and we need suitably qualified and competent people to deal with them. We cannot allow the justice system to fail our children or the victims of sexual abuse,” Bosch said.
