The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has assured me that, in most cases, court documents are available. As the Department has a filing system, on which charge sheets are filed.
However, the Honourable Member is requested to alert/inform us if there are specific cases and/or matters that he is aware of, where documents are missing, so that the Department may investigate the matter(s) and report back accordingly.
2. Furthermore, in instances where court records are missing, records or portions of records, this leads to one (1) or two (2) scenarios:
(i) Duplicates are requested from the persons who filed said documents; and/or
(ii) Court records can be reconstructed. However, this process depends on the availability of the Magistrate and the Magistrate’s records, and requires the availability and records of the Prosecutor/s and Legal Aid Attorneys and/or legal representatives involved.
The Department’s nine (9) Provincial Offices regularly meet on a monthly basis and/or as often as the need arises with relevant various stakeholders to address any blockages which may occur.