Statement by Deputy Minister Andries Nel at the media briefing on progress on Operation Isondlo in the Western Cape

Government through the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has committed itself to improve maintenance services by way of tracing untraced maintenance beneficiaries and to ensure that defaulters are brought to book.

Operation Isondlo as it is commonly known was introduced in 2005 with the strategic objectives being to decrease backlogs in maintenance cases, enforce provisions of the Maintenance Act 99 of 1998, build capacity at courts and to undertake public education and awareness.

In a quest to realise these objectives, the department has put in place a number of initiatives to ensure proper and efficient functioning of our maintenance courts.

Through maintenance Izimbizos and Public Education workshops, regular roadblocks and door-to door searches in partnership with government's Justice Crime Prevention and Security cluster, we were able to bring down the number of outstanding warrants from 890 to 813 and arrested 75 alleged maintenance. The total amount of maintenance owed by these alleged defaulters amounted to R764 971.00.

Untraced Alleged Maintenance defaulters:

The operation in carried out in partnership with South African Police Services resulted in 68 arrests of alleged defaulters. Out of this total, seven defaulters voluntarily surrendered themselves after seeing their names published in the newspapers.

Untraced Maintenance Beneficiaries:

The operation to trace beneficiaries commenced on 1 September 2011 and out of 157 untraced beneficiaries 48 was successfully traced resulting in the department paying out a total amount of R60 920.00.

We are in a process of tracing 109 beneficiaries after 3 beneficiaries were reported as deceased.

A functioning and effective maintenance system is critical not only for the children, but for substantive equality for women. This system should help us to reduce poverty and decrease the number of children reliant on state grants.

Operation Isondlo and its success should be viewed as government's commitment to bring greater access to justice to our people.

In conclusion we would like to applaud the Western Cape Regional Office of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and Justice Crime Prevention and Security cluster departments namely; Department of Home Affairs and the South African Police Services for their co-operation and support towards this campaign.

We also call upon the community across this province to work with us to ensure that we improve services that we render to make access to justice a reality.

Untraced Alleged Maintenance Defaulters:

Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in partnership with South African Police Service (SAPS) was tasked to ensure that 890 warrants of arrest for alleged maintenance defaulters are executed.

The Operation commenced on 15 September 2011 and to date the following results can be reported:

• A total of 75 Alleged Maintenance Defaulters have been arrested as at 14 October 2011.
• The arrests can be broken down into the following statistics:

Untraced Maintenance Beneficiaries:

Project Target: The tracing of 157 Untraced Beneficiaries as at end June 2011

The Operation commenced on 15 September 2011 it can be reported that a total of 60 Untraced Beneficiaries have been traced and paid out by the courts (1 of which is a deceased estate). Total monetary value paid out amounts to R65 716-00.

Working together we can do more!

Thank you.