DPWI DIRECTOR GENERAL UNDERTAKES LOCO INSPECTION AT THE CONSITIUTIONAL COURT

Article and Pictures by Caroline Mokotedi

The Director-General (DG) of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI), Mr Sifiso Mdakane, undertook an inspection tour of the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg today. This visit to the apex Court of the country, comes after his similar inspection at the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein two weeks ago.

The DG was continuing with his stated intention of ensuring that the Courts of the country are in a working state in order to deliver their mandate of providing justice to the people of South Africa.

Accompanying the DG were the top Departmental officials from the Facilities and Construction Management Branches. These were DDG Mokhothu from CPM, DDG Samuels from Facilities Management, Johannesburg Regional Manager, Jabulile Mabaso as well as Chief Directors from other branches of the Department. The office of the Chief Justice was led by the Acting Secretary General, Marelize Potgieter, and the leader of Facilities at the concourt, Justice Tshiqi.

This initiative is part of a broader effort to ensure that the judiciary infrastructure is fit for the purpose of discharging its responsibilities. The drive of the Department in ensuring that the Constitutional Court is in a proper and prim state could not have come at a more appropriate time. The Court of the land is set to celebrate 30 years as an apex Court of the country on the 20th of June this year. Various dignitaries are set to grace a glittering function at the Constitutional Hill that day.

The Constitutional Court, as the highest court in South Africa, is responsible for safeguarding the Constitution and upholding the rule of law. Mr. Mdakane's visit is a significant part of the Department's commitment to ensuring that justice institutions are well-equipped and capable of handling the demands of their vital roles in the judicial system.

This tour of key judicial institutions is conducted in a systematic manner, with the DG meeting with leadership and administrative staff at each location to assess both physical infrastructure and operational capabilities. The aim is to identify any challenges and take appropriate action to ensure that courts remain functional, accessible, and efficient.

As part of today’s visit, key resolutions were taken to fix all the challenges that were raised with the DG, as well as issues that were picked up by the Departmental officials. This includes the conditional assessment of the facility undertaken in March 2023. The key challenges that were identified include roof leaks, water seepage damage, structural crack and dysfunctional storm water reticulation system. These are expected to be fixed in the shortest possible time once the Department has procured total facilities contract for the daily upkeep of the facilities as suggested by the DG.