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Drakenstein Municipal Court gets green light from Minister of Justice


19 April 2022 | Press Releases

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The Drakenstein Municipal Court has been given the green light to start operating by the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola.

The Municipal Court is a division of a Magistrates’ Court that focuses on the handling of municipal matters such as traffic violations, the breach of building regulations, and the contravention of municipal bylaws dealing with, among other issues, nuisance and health regulations.

Opening its doors on 1 August 2022, the court at 62 Breda Street, Paarl, will be manned by a magistrate to be appointed by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, together with a prosecutor and court staff who will be appointed by Drakenstein Municipality.

The proclamation on 30 March 2022 allows the Municipality to commence with the final preparations to start operating. The main activities between now and 1 August 2022 will be the appointment of a Magistrate by the Chief Magistrate, assisted by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, and ensuring that a complete court roll is available from 1 August 2022.

Dr Johan Leibbrandt, City Manager of Drakenstein Municipality, said: “The new court will underline the seriousness of bylaw contraventions, and assist the Municipality in enforcing law and order in all earnest. Members of the public who usually have to appear before the Magistrates’ Court for traffic-related offences or other municipal matters, will from 1 August 2022 appear before the Municipal Court.
“In the past there was limited space on court rolls for municipal matters; the Municipal Court will ensure that more municipal bylaw contraventions are effectively dealt with.”

Alderman Conrad Poole, Executive Mayor of Drakenstein Municipality, welcomed the proclamation. “It has been a long time coming, and I am glad we can finally start using the facilities we had been preparing for this purpose. Our vision is to grow Drakenstein as a city of excellence, and this court will go a long way in helping us to reach our goal.

“I am proud of the staff who have worked hard to make the Municipal Court a reality and I want to encourage our residents to make use of it. The court will alleviate the pressure on the Paarl Magistrates’ Court and is a valuable asset to our Municipality.”

The Municipal Court’s operating hours will be 8:00 to 13:00 and then 13:30 to 15:45 from Monday to Thursday. On Fridays, it will be 8:00 to 13:00 and then 13:30 to 14:30. On weekends and public holidays it will be closed.

For more information regarding the Municipal Court, call the Municipality at 080 131 3553 toll free.

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