The government is confident that an ongoing data digitisation process will promote access to justice for many underprivileged South Africans.
The Justice Department even used the project as part of its commemoration of Mandela Month with provincial and national officials scanning piles of files that only existed in hard copy format.
Acting Chief Director for strategy at the Justice Department, Walter Mulaudzi said the digitisation programme being piloted in the North West will be extended to other provinces.
“I think what people should understand is that we have a crisis of load shedding, which is affecting service delivery immensely. But, we have started an initiative as the department in making a point that we digitise the files. We have started this project under the stewardship of the advocate Kanyane Mathibi. We have started piloting in Johannesburg and Pretoria, Durban, and Cape Town.
“So, I believe in the long run, it will be expanded to other provinces. When files are digitised, you will find that it will make life much easier for our people because then, in your respective homes, you will be able to punch in the ID numbers and the file will appear.
“It will show that the file is reported to the Mahikeng Master of the High Court. So, I think the direction that we are taking and the Minister and our Director-General have taken the initiative and call this year, the year of master office.
“This means in 2023, we will make sure that our people will no longer have to walk long distances to visit the master office because they will be able to be assisted wherever they are. You know digitalisation is a big thing in the global community and South Africa is in the right direction,” Mulaudzi said.
He said they hoped to have a similar system to the one that is used by the South African Revenue System (SARS).
“We are hoping to achieve the systems that are used by revenue services because with them, you can be sitting at home and you can be able to do your e-filing. I think that is the path that we are taking as a department.
“You will recall that we are approaching the elections and I think the current administration has pointed out that, by the time their term comes to an end, they would have achieved issues of digitalisation.
“I think Lamola and the DG together with employees at the department, understand that our people in rural areas particularly, are struggling when it comes to issues involving the master’s office. The idea is to make sure that each and every place in South Africa can be assisted anywhere and be able to log on and see the files that are within the master’s office. So, that is the whole idea,” he said.
The administration of justice is said to be generally slow in South Africa with records still being kept in hard copy and courts overwhelmed with cases.
