In a determined effort to bring justice to victims of sexual offences, Sibasa regional court embarked on the End GBVF 100-Day Challenge with a clear and ambitious goal: to finalise 15 sexual offences cases every two weeks, aiming for 100 cases within the 100-day period. Though the journey was fraught with challenges, the experience shed light on valuable strategies that can pave the way for future success.

Getting started with a full court roll

The team began the challenge with a significant backlog of 238 sexual offence cases, a daunting task for any judicial team. Despite this, they remained focused on the goal of finalising 100 cases in 100 days.

Progress Amid Complexity

By the end of the 100 days, 21 cases had been finalised. While this number fell short of the initial target, it represented a meaningful step forward, particularly considering the backlog the court had been dealing with. The team’s dedication helped reduce the burden of outstanding cases, demonstrating the positive impact of concentrated efforts.

Managing Volume and Complexity

One of the biggest obstacles the team faced was the sheer volume and complexity of sexual offence cases, exacerbated by the continuous influx of new cases. The two courts in the region were tasked with sharing the heavy caseload.

In response, Regional Magistrate Mabitsela took the step of conducting virtual hearings, connecting remotely from Polokwane. This helped alleviate some of the pressure on the court system, but the logistics of balancing virtual and in-person hearings proved to be a challenge, especially in supporting witnesses to ensure they could appear during trials.

Striking a Balance

In addition to managing sexual offences cases, the team also had to balance their workload with other criminal cases. By adopting a strategy that ensured a fair distribution of cases, they were able to prevent the system from becoming overwhelmed, though it required difficult prioritisation decisions.

A Commitment to Improvement

While the team did not reach their goal, the 100-Day Challenge proved to be a crucial learning experience that revealed a high-potential strategy for improving case finalisation rates going forward. Greater emphasis will be placed on supporting state witnesses, enabling them to attend trials more easily, and improving case load distribution among courts in the region. Virtual hearings will continue to play a key role in the process, allowing the court to manage cases more efficiently.