Shocking conditions in judge’s chambers amid Mpumalanga High Court shutdown

The Mpumalanga High Court complex will remain closed until at least Monday.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) has until today to submit a plan of action to the Department of Labour (DoL), which issued a prohibition order to evacuate the court on Wednesday, in an effort to convince the DoL that some sections of the complex can be reopened.

The prohibition order follows an inspection conducted on Wednesday, during which the building was deemed unsafe and unsuitable for staff.

It was also discovered that the DoJ was occupying the building illegally, as an official occupancy certificate was never issued by the City of Mbombela’s department of planning.

The complex was found to be non-compliant with regulations of the Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 due to issues such as leaking roofs, broken air conditioning and ventilation systems (HVAC), leaking toilets, broken lifts, electrical supply problems, and inadequate access for people with disabilities.

Yesterday, a team from the DoJ, DoL, Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI), an independent engineer, the Mbombela municipality, and labour unions spent the day scrutinising the entire complex.

Although the DoJ acknowledged the building’s safety issues and agreed on the need for evacuation, their primary concern was the temporary relocation of the courts.

“During the inspection, it became clear that the major cause of the problems was that no maintenance has been done since November 2019, when the court officially opened,” the acting provincial manager of the Public Servants Association, Flip van der Walt, said yesterday.

According to Van der Walt, an engineer from the DoJ and an independent engineer submitted reports after the inspection.

“Both these reports confirmed that previous fears of the building being structurally compromised were unfounded. However, they agreed that the buildings have serious health problems that endanger staff and the public.”

Van der Walt noted sympathy for the DoJ, as no suitable temporary facility is available to house the three judges and their courtrooms in the city.

“A number of offices with the greatest health risks have been identified and will definitely be closed.”

One shocking discovery during the inspection was the condition of one of the six judges’ chambers: Parts of the ceiling were missing, exposing the zinc roof, with electric wires hanging from the ceiling.

For now, the prohibition order will be adhered to, but a meeting will be held tomorrow after the DoJ submits contingency plans to reopen parts of the complex.

While the inspection took place, contractors repaired and serviced the HVAC system, and it was operational by the end of yesterday.

Contractors to repair the failing electrical systems are scheduled to be on site on today. An emergency tender was issued for plumbing network repairs, with the tender closing on Monday.