Chairperson, hon members, I have a whole 10 minutes. I don't know what to do with 10 minutes. Again, if you clap and cheer, then I might not have to use all of my 10 minutes [Laughter].
Chairperson, the Renaming of High Courts Bill is part of the process of transforming the judicial system to create a single, integrated, accessible and affordable court system. The Bill proposes the scrapping of names of outdated jurisdictions such as Transvaal, Bophuthatswana, Thohoyandou and the Natal Provincial Divisions. Instead, the High Courts are to be named after the respective provinces in which they are situated to bring them in line with the new boundaries that came about after the scrapping of the former homelands and the establishment of nine provinces in terms of section 103 of the Constitution.
Chairperson, in terms of the Constitution, specifically item 16(4)(a) of Schedule 6, all provincial and local divisions of the Supreme Court of South Africa, including the superior courts of former homelands, became High Courts in their areas of jurisdiction, subject to the rationalisation process envisaged in item 16(6)(a).
Item 16(6)(a) of Schedule 6 to the Constitution provided that as soon as it is practical, after the new Constitution took effect, there should be a comprehensive rationalisation of the structure, composition, functioning and jurisdiction of all courts in order to establish a judicial system suited to the Constitution's requirements. This Bill is an interim measure and it is part of the ongoing rationalisation process. The policy framework for the rationalisation process is still being finalised.
The renaming of the High Courts was considered significant because it was felt that, firstly, it was undesirable to preserve and use names of certain High Courts, some of which still retain their apartheid origins. Secondly, it was felt that the enactment and implementation of the Bill's provisions would go a long way towards clearing up the uncertainty and confusion about several High Courts' names.
The High Courts in eight provinces will have new names. Currently, there is no High Court in Mpumalanga. The Witwatersrand Local Division will become the South Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, while the Transvaal Provincial Division will become the North Gauteng High Court, Pretoria. Secondly, the Durban and Coast Local Division and Natal Provincial Division, Pietermaritzburg, will become KwaZulu-Natal High Court, Durban and KwaZulu- Natal High Court, Pietermaritzburg, respectively. There will be four High Courts in the Eastern Cape province - the Eastern Cape High Court in Bisho, Grahamstown, Umtata and Port Elizabeth. There will be the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein. The Cape of Good Hope Provincial Division will become the Western Cape High Court, Cape Town. There will also be the Northern Cape High Court in Kimberley, Limpopo High Court in Thohoyandou and, lastly, the North West High Court in Mmabatho.
I ask that this House please support this Bill. I thank you. [Applause]. Debate concluded.
Bill, subject to a proposed amendment, agreed to in accordance with section 75 of the Constitution.