Hon Deputy Speaker, Deputy President, hon members, last Tuesday, 11 August 2009, the branch courts started to offer full services to communities in townships and rural areas that had no access to justice services offered by the main courts.
Fifteen branch courts across the country are now enjoying the status of being full service courts with improved access to the justice system following the extension of their services. The extension of services to the current branch courts will bring great relief to affected communities, and enhance their access to justice consistent with the provisions of our Constitution. The launch of these courts has taken us forward in terms of promoting justice, in particular to the historically disadvantaged communities, even though they provide limited services to these communities.
Due to these efforts, people don't have to travel long distances in order to access services such as child maintenance, protection orders, deceased estates, adoption orders or legal remedies to any civil disputes.
This is consistent with government's effort to prioritise service delivery by bringing facilities and services to areas where people reside and establish a new, modernised, efficient and transformed criminal justice system so as to develop the capacity for fighting and reducing crime in real terms. Thank you.