Madam Deputy Speaker, we have been informed by the Department of Justice acting directors-general and the present director- general that there is a severe backlog in the appointment of magistrates. The situation was so dire that in the response to a parliamentary question that I asked, I was told that the number of cases abandoned or dropped in 2008-09, due to various reasons, but including the shortfall of magistrates, amounted to 286 837.
The implementation of the Children's Act, which comes into effect on 1 April 2010, requires an additional 20 magistrates. Can the Deputy Minister please inform us how many magistrates will be employed at the Ekangala magistrate's court and how will these magistrates be sought? If they are sought from other magistrates' courts, will they be replaced or will they leave a vacuum in those courts?