Cape Town 241110 A banner hanging off the unfinished highway in the CBD of Cape Town to mark th “16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children”: End of the road for maintenance defaulters.Today, marks the official launch of the Western Cape Provincial Government’s 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign, which will run from 25 November to 10 December 2010. picture : neil baynes Cape Town 241110 A banner hanging off the unfinished highway in the CBD of Cape Town to mark th “16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children”: End of the road for maintenance defaulters.Today, marks the official launch of the Western Cape Provincial Government’s 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign, which will run from 25 November to 10 December 2010. picture : neil baynes
Cape Town - The Justice Department has intensified its bid to clamp down on 900 maintenance defaulters in the Western Cape who collectively owe around R5 million in unpaid child maintenance.
And the department was on Wednesday expected to hold a public awareness campaign in Mitchells Plain which has been identified as one of the areas with the highest maintenance dodgers in the province.
Initially the area had 23 warrants of arrests for defaulters, but in recent months officials executed nine warrants, bringing the outstanding arrears maintenance for that area to R190 908.
As South Africa marks Youth Month, the department will be highlighting its Operation Isondlo campaign which focuses on tracing maintenance defaulters and untraced maintenance beneficiaries to whom maintenance monies are owed.
The regional head of the Department of Justice, Advocate Hishaam Mohamed, said the department’s focus was on those defaulters who have the resources – assets and pensions – and could afford to pay maintenance, but refused to and not to “victimise those who cannot afford to pay”.
“We are not after those who cannot afford to pay… that is why we’re focusing on civil remedies,” Mohamed said.
The Maintenance Act makes provision for “civil remedies”, which can be effected by the courts and which means that claims can be made from third parties if the defaulters have assets or pensions.
He said the department was set to visit Oval North High School in Beacon Valley on Wednesday to hand over seven cheques to maintenance beneficiaries valued at R4 628.67.
While the programme runs throughout the year, the department runs a more public profile during Youth Month in June,
Women’s Month in August and during the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women campaign between November and December.
According to the department, there are currently 900 targeted outstanding warrants of arrest for maintenance defaulters who collectively owe an average of R4.9m. The top 20 defaulters owe just over R1.2m and, of the outstanding money, the department had collected R539 610 with the help of the police and partners in the criminal justice system.
At the beginning of the year, there were 94 untraced beneficiaries to whom R120 000 was due. To date, the department had traced 69 of the 94 beneficiaries, paying out a total of R84 278.14.
Around the province, 36 areas have been identified with the highest number of maintenance matters, and “service delivery imbizos” are to be hosted at the courts in these areas to address the issues.
According to the department, the campaign has assisted in ensuring many defaulters having their day in court, and has resulted in hundreds of maintenance beneficiaries receiving their payouts.
They will seek out untraced maintenance beneficiaries, trace and arrest defaulters with outstanding warrants, and run awareness campaigns around issues of domestic violence, sexual offences and maintenance service issues.
The approach is multi-pronged with the help from the SAPS who execute warrants, the Master of the High Court and Home Affairs which traces beneficiaries and their details, the National Prosecuting Authority securing prosecution and Correctional Services who keep a record of defaulters who are incarcerated.
The department has also developed the means to ensure easier payment methods for defaulters, with beneficiaries able to receive their money directly into their bank accounts via a new electronic transfer payment (EFT) system. The new system reduces the turnaround time of maintenance payments made by the courts.
The department called on the public to assist in identifying defaulters.
Among the top defaulters are in:
* Ladismith , who owes R97 060. A warrant had been issued but is yet to be executed.
* Ravensmead, who owes R85 500. He was arrested and had appeared in court on December 18. When he was next expected to appear in court, he did not arrive and a warrant for his arrest was issued.
* Kleinvlei, where the home address is unknown. The man owes R58 358. He was arrested and appeared in court last October, but failed to appear in court in December. A warrant was issued for his arrest.
* Worcester, for a man who owes R47 300 – a warrant for his arrest is to be executed.
* Wynberg, for a man who owes R37 432. A warrant for his arrest is to be executed.
* Worcester, for a man who owes R34 670.
In a case registered at CapeTown police station, the man’s address is unknown, but he owes R56 700.
natasha.prince@inl.co.za
Cape Argus