New sheriffs in NC towns
FIVE new sheriffs have been appointed in the Northern Cape by the Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development.
The appointments in the Province form part of the 33 new sheriffs appointed to fill vacant offices countrywide.
According to a statement issued by the department, sheriffs play an extremely important role in the civil justice system as they serve court processes and execute warrants and orders of court. “They are officers of the court and appointed in terms of the Sheriffs Act.”
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development spokesperson, Advocate Mthunzi Mhaga, said yesterday that the appointments followed an open process whereby the posts were advertised and successful applicants were shortlisted and interviewed by an advisory committee, established in each of the nine provinces.
“Advisory committees are chaired by chief magistrates or regional court presidents and make recommendations to the deputy minister regarding fit and proper persons to be considered for appointment.”
According to the statement, the need to make the sheriffs profession more representative in terms of race and gender was one of the factors that the deputy minister took into account in making his decision.
“Of the 33 appointed sheriffs, 18 are African (54 percent), eight are white (24 percent), four are coloured (13 percent) and three are Indian (nine percent). The 16 women appointed represent 48 percent of the new appointees and the 17 men 52 percent.”
Twelve of the 33 appointed sheriffs were already holding office as sheriff in other smaller areas and will therefore not affect the demographics in terms of race and gender.
The new appointments will now bring the total number of permanent sheriffs countrywide to 289.
The majority of the new appointments will take effect from September 1 this year to enable the incumbent sheriffs to set up office, to employ personnel, to attend the compulsory prescribed training courses and to ensure a smooth handover of court documents.
“Unfortunately some of the vacant offices could not be filled as either no applications were received or the advisory committees were not able to recommend fit and proper applicants, as the case may be.
“This often occurs in small offices which are not economically viable and the advisory committees would therefore either recommend that the vacant offices be re-advertised, be allocated to an adjacent sheriff or that the sheriff’s office for the high and lower court be merged,” Mhaga stated.
He added that the Judicial Matters Amendment Bill that was approved by Parliament last week, will in future enable the deputy minister to appoint sheriffs to these offices after the recommendations of the advisory committee and the South African Board for Sheriffs have been considered.
“It is important that sheriffs perform their duties in a professional manner and continue to provide a reliable and effective service to the public, the legal profession and other role-players in the justice system.
“The department will continue to support and strengthen the sheriffs profession in order to ensure that justice is accessible to all.”
Newly appointed sheriffs in the Northern Cape include HP Burger (Calvinia), TP Mokwena (De Aar, Hanover, Britstown and Phillipstown), AJ Daniels (Groblershoop), MJ Brooks (Hay, Hopetown and Douglas), MH Makwane (Postmasburg) and KMM Mpe (Kimberley and Galeshewe). The last three candidates were already holding the office as a sheriff.