Corruption, justice in exchange for a pie and a coke, intimidation, and lack of empathy are some of the service delivery allegations levelled against the officials of the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court.

These issues were laid bare by community members who brought their complaints to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, whose visit to the court elicited drama on Wednesday morning.

Lucy Mkhize, an elderly woman from Kathorus, Ekurhuleni, told the minister that she and a group of other community members were being victimised, threatened, and forcibly evicted from their homes by bogus estate agents acting in collaboration with banks and court officials, who allow their homes to be sold without their consent.

"We are members of the community who are not satisfied by the justice system. We are threatened, intimidated, and forced out of our homes, which we built from scratch through blood and sweat. But because we are old, we are being taken advantage of. Some of the community members have lost their homes, which have been taken away from them. One of the victims is here in court as we speak," Mkhize stated.

Another victim of corruption and maltreatment, Sandy Kantilal, accused one of the court officials and former magistrate of the court of forcing her to walk around with R500 000 in cash and causing her trauma and stress during her difficult divorce process.

She said instead of receiving justice, she was left with an added trauma of abuse caused by these officials.

"In this court to get justice, you must pay officials with a pie and a coke. That is how the justice system of this court works. My life was in danger as the whole court knew that I was driving around with R500 000. They knew that I had money, and they wanted me to drive around with it. Instead of justice, these people caused me to pay R800 000 to defend a protection order against my former husband, but the magistrates gave him access to my house," she said.

Joseph Mdluli accused court officials of not caring about those affected by the justice system, saying: "corruption, lack of sympathy and empathy as well as intimidation are some of the things that happen within this court.

"The magistrate or the State prosecutor, if they feel that they have an interest in your matter, they will not listen to both parties objectively but would make a decision based on their interests and decide your fate. I was intimidated and victimised by this court and never got justice, and as a result, I lost my house," he said.

Responding to some of the issues pointed out by residents, Kubayi committed herself to fixing some of the challenges, which included shocking record-keeping, corruption, and the failure by the officials to keep one of its gender-based violence (GBV) units clean.

"It is not what one can hide; these weaknesses cannot be tolerated, and it confirms that some of these allegations are true," she said.

siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za

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