Magistrates in Durban call for urgent reforms to address safety and remuneration
FRUSTRATED Durban magistrates downed their gavels to join a picket in their red and black robes outside the Durban Magistrate’s Court last week, calling for better working conditions, higher pay, and perks.
They demanded an end to “systemic discrimination” in the judicial system after their concerns about remuneration was ignored for years.
Magistrate Scelo Zuma, from the Judicial Officers’ Association of South Africa (Joasa), said while recommendations were made to the president and the Judicial Service Commission regarding the changes that were required, no action was taken.
“This has been happening annually. We have tried to litigate, but nothing has been done. There is a huge disparity in the benefits afforded to judges in comparison to magistrates. We do not have medical aid, housing allowances or vehicle allowances. Magistrates have to use salaries to cover basic needs amidst mounting pressures, including safety as judicial officers,” he said.
Zuma said a plan of action detailed the magistrates’ plight and highlighted their concerns.
“We aim to achieve judicial independence for the magistracy, in particular to fight against systematic discrimination of magistrates and exclusions in the judicial structure. We also want to advocate and realise the dream of a single judiciary in our lifetime and, most importantly, to have the major remuneration review implemented immediately.
“It is well-documented history that magistrates have been from pillar to post to be included entirely in the judicial structure; all attempts have failed. It is well-documented history that the calls for the implementation of a remuneration overhaul/major review have failed.
“All preferred avenues having been visited and not yielding results, one last avenue remains open for magistrates, and this avenue can be found in Sec 17 of the Constitution read with the relevant sections of obligations in the Constitution, cited above,” read the plan of action document, adopted by the magistrates.
It advocated for sustained pickets until the desired results were achieved.