Legal practitioners and members of the public were left waiting outside the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria after a power outage forced the temporary closure of the building. Picture Credit: Radio786
By Aisha Zardad
Pretoria – The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria temporarily halted operations on Monday due to a power outage affecting the court building and surrounding areas in the central business district.
Members of the legal fraternity and members of the public arrived at the court in the morning to find the building in complete darkness, with the doors closed. Security personnel stationed at the entrance informed those gathered outside that it was unclear when electricity would be restored.
The Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) later confirmed the temporary closure, saying the power failure had disrupted operations at the Pretoria division of the High Court.
The OCJ said parties affected by the closure would be contacted regarding alternative arrangements for matters scheduled on the court roll for the day. Court officials have been in contact with the City of Tshwane, and efforts to restore power are currently underway.
Although the court building has a generator, it was not operational at the time of the outage. A court official waiting outside the building indicated that the generator had reportedly not been working for several years. When asked about the issue, the OCJ said no further comment would be provided.
Members of the legal fraternity waited outside the court for more than an hour in the hope that the City of Tshwane would resolve the power problem quickly. Some indicated they had managed to postpone their matters through the court registrar, while others opted to return on Tuesday to address their cases.
