Interviews held for judge president

POLOKWANE – Judge Mampuru Makgoba has been recommended by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to be appointed as the judge president of the Limpopo high court division.

Makgoba is from the North Gauteng high court in Pretoria and was interviewed for the position on

Monday evening in Cape Town.

Seven judges, including judges Legodi Phatudi, Joseph Raulinga and Thokozile Masipa (who presided over the Oscar Pretorius case), Frans Legodi, Khami Makhafola and Frans Nare Kgomo (who presided over the Griekwastad murder case), were interviewed this week in Cape Town by the JSC for the vacancy of Limpopo president of the high court.

The high court in Biccard Street is nearing completion after the contractors were given two months’ extension to finalise their contract in February.

Justice and correctional services minister Michael Masutha recently said he envisaged the issuing of a proclamation on August 1 outlining the jurisdiction of the court in Polokwane.

“We will open the court before the end of this year,” he recently said at an imbizo in Limpopo.

The Gauteng division seated in Pretoria serves the Limpopo division currently, with circuit courts sitting at Polokwane and Thohoyandou.

Masutha said five judges would possibly be seconded from other divisions to bring the total of judges initially to between eight and ten judges.

The court building should have been finalised by the end of July 2012, but groundwater and problems with contractors interfered with the schedule.

The building comprises two structures situated on a super basement that can accommodate parking for 253 vehicles.

Block A consists of multiple regional high court rooms as well as 17 judges’ chambers while block B comprises seven floors of office space. The total floor area is 28 000m². The court will accommodate the master of the high court’s offices, a family advocate, the state advocate as well as a legal aid department.