Kubayi extends court services to 18 courts from 31 March

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development will extend additional services at 18 courts across all nine provinces from 31 March 2026, in a move it says is aimed at bringing justice closer to rural and township communities.

The expansion was announced by the department on 24 March 2026, under the leadership of the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi. The 18 identified courts will offer maintenance, family law, children’s court services, domestic violence and protection from harassment, small claims courts, and criminal services.

The department frames the intervention as a focused effort to strengthen access in rural and historically disadvantaged areas, with particular emphasis on services that support vulnerable groups.

What is being added, and where

The extended services span every province. In the Eastern Cape, Bityi and Dimbaza will benefit. In the Free State, Rosendal and Tweespruit. In Gauteng, Kliptown and Orlando in Soweto. In KwaZulu-Natal, Richards Bay and Dukuza. In Limpopo, Materekeng and Senwamokgope. In Mpumalanga, Masoyi and Driekiesdorp. In the Northern Cape, Heuningsvlei and Tsineng. In the North West, Ottoshoop and Marikana. In the Western Cape, Philippi and Plettenberg Bay.

The services involved are the ones that most often bring ordinary people into contact with the courts: maintenance claims, family disputes, matters involving children, protection orders, and small claims. The department says these are essential to supporting individuals and families.

Kubayi said the Constitution guarantees access to courts as a fundamental right, central to the protection and enforcement of all other rights.

“In giving effect to this obligation, the Department continues to implement measures aimed at ensuring that justice services are accessible to all, particularly in rural and historically disadvantaged communities,” she said.

The constitutional promise

The department’s statement places the expansion within the constitutional obligation to ensure access to courts. Kubayi said the initiative represents an important step in ensuring justice is accessible to all.

“By extending services closer to communities, we are reducing barriers and reinforcing the constitutional promise of equality before the law,” she said.

The department says the initiative forms part of broader efforts led by the Minister to build a responsive, people-centred justice system that is accessible, efficient, and equitable. Communities in the identified areas are encouraged to make use of the services.

The expansion takes effect from 31 March 2026. For people in Marikana, Philippi, Richards Bay and the other identified areas, the practical effect is that matters which previously required travel to a larger court can now be brought closer to home.

Source: Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Read the original item.