Government Admits to Major Challenges at Mbombela Master’s Office

Lawyers in Nelspruit told GroundUp the Mbombela Master’s office at the Mpumalanaga High Court is in a “crisis”. Now the justice department has acknowledged the situation.

• Mbombela Master’s Office faces major challenges, including backlogs, insufficient resources and staff shortages.
• The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development said it is exploring options to address staffing gaps.
• But Mbombela Attorneys Association chairperson Annelien de Kock said the department’s response was the “same excuse that they had been relying on for the past four years”.

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has acknowledged that the Mbombela Master’s Office is experiencing major challenges.

This acknowledgement comes after GroundUp’s story highlighting that the office has massive backlogs and staff shortages.

The department said that, despite the challenges, management at the Mbombela Master’s Office had implemented new operational strategies to reduce backlogs and improve service delivery.

“These measures include internal process adjustments and improved cash flow management. The office has begun receiving positive feedback from certain stakeholders, which indicates that these interventions are yielding gradual improvements,” the department wrote.

Historical backlog

“Master’s Mbombela acknowledges that the office is experiencing challenges, particularly relating to a significant historical backlog in the administration of estates and related matters,” the department wrote.

“These backlogs have accumulated over time and are compounded by resource constraints and staffing pressures.”

“The department is putting in place measures to address the backlogs,” the department wrote without elaborating on clear plans to fix the situation.

But it did say that some of the measures it planned to implement included internal process adjustments and improved case flow management.

“The office remains committed to strengthening capacity at the office and is exploring options to address staffing gaps and enhance operational efficiency.”

In response, Annelien de Kock, chairperson of the Mbombela Attorneys Association, told GroundUp that the response was the “same story that they had been spinning for the past four years”.

‘They have grown accustomed to saying that the office does not have the staff and resources. There is no plan for how they will change it. Nothing,” de Kock added. “If staff and resources are a problem, why doesn’t the department accept the attorneys’ invitation to provide pro bono services to assist them?”

“They say there is a problem, and they agree there is a problem. That is all they are saying. They are offering an excuse – that is it. There is no plan.”

Staff shortage

The department told GroundUp in January that the Mbombela office has about 45 staff. But the Mbombela Attorneys Association estimated the figure to be closer to 15.

The department has since clarified that the office could have a staff count of up to 45 posts. But not all posts were currently filled, and the branch currently has 20 staff.

“The office recognises that this situation places considerable strain on existing personnel and impacts turnaround times,” the department wrote.

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