Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said on Wednesday that the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development requires R1.6 billion to build new courts.
Kubayi was addressing the National Assembly to answer questions on the work done by the Department of Justice and observations made by her department after visiting courts across the country.
She said the department had identified challenges in infrastructure, safety and security issues, human resource capacity and tools and trade.
Speaking specifically on infrastructure, Kubayi said her department had engaged with the Department of Public Works and Treasury to put together plans to fix the failing infrastructure at courts.
“In some of the areas we have had courts being closed down on the basis that the buildings have been non-compliant,” she said.
“When we looked at what court infrastructure is needed, we currently have been allocated R400 million out of the R1.6 billion that is needed to be able to build new courts and to be able to expand. We have not been able to build any new court in the last five years because of resources.”
Addressing the issue of safety and security of prosecutors, Kubayi made mention of advocate Tracy Brown, killed in July 2025, the most recent of five prosecutors who was shot and killed in the past five years.
“The impact of such killings is far-reaching; it erodes public trust in institutions of justice, intimidates legal professionals and potentially deters them from pursuing cases. Those responsible for these attacks must be held accountable,” she said.
During the course of investigations, it was discovered that Brown’s killing had been planned and ordered by a suspect who was in state custody.
“Evidence that was presented on 10 September 2025 suggests that the hit was allegedly ordered by an inmate in a local correctional centre and that it was related to a case she had handled,” Kubayi said.
Wellington and St. Albans prisons have been flagged by the department as correctional facilities where contraband or cellphones are smuggled in.
She has since called on broadcast media to protect the identity of prosecutors during the televised broadcasting of high-profile cases as a way to shield prosecutors and ensure their safety.
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