R249m is needed to rehabilitate some of the infrastructure problems plaguing the 48-year-old Durban Magistrate's Court building, reports TimesLIVE.  

This was revealed during an oversight visit by Public Works & Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson on Monday. Macpherson was accompanied by t

he eThekwini Municipality’s Deputy Mayor, Zandile Myeni, long-standing DA MP Dianne Kohler-Barnard, and senior government officials.

The visit comes after court proceedings were halted for a day last month after a bomb scare. 

The incident led the Public Servants Association to raise concerns about the 12-storey building, which they said had been condemned by the fire department in 2023.

Among the shortcomings identified by the union was a non-functional water sprinkler system.

Senior official Nkosi Vilakazi said it was estimated that R19m was needed to fix lifts at the courts, and a short-term maintenance contract had been signed.

‘When you look at the façade, it’s largely corroded and spoiled – the fireside and the plumbing, some of the pumps have been stolen,’ said Vilakazi.

Courts are where people come to seek justice safely and securely.

The big concern here is that if people can leave the building having stolen an item, what does it say about people bringing something into the building?’ said Macpherson.

According to TimesLIVE, a  Department of Justice official told the Minister that because it was a public building, it was prone to these types of security breaches, which included the rampant theft of copper.

Court manager Krithesh Prag said the KZN High Court (Durban) was now sharing the building with the Magistrate's Court.

‘We noted that it is also a security risk for us because they don’t have an X-ray machine. People who enter through our exit can also exit there after stealing pipes. So it is a security concern,’ said Prag.

He said he hoped once the High Court moves back to its original premises in the Margaret Mncadi building, which is undergoing renovations, the security threats will be a thing of the past.

Although it was initially envisaged that the building would be completed at the beginning of 2025, those plans have now been in disarray due to budget constraints.

It is now anticipated that the overhaul will only be finalised at the end of 2025.

Full TimesLIVE report