Maintenance system clean-up needed

African Christian Democratic Party MP Rhoda Southgate

17 June 2003

Shocking findings that scores of corrupt court officials are pocketing
millions in maintenance payments highlight yet again the fraud and
inefficiency in South Africa's maintenance system.

Although receiving child support is often an issue of survival, particularly
in rural areas, frustrated divorced and single women face never-ending
difficulties in obtaining maintenance from defaulting husbands and fathers.

According to a recent Justice Department investigation, hundreds of
thousands of fathers are not paying maintenance. In Umlazi outside Durban
for instance, 60 000 men have maintenance orders against them - but just 8
000 fathers are actually paying. In Mitchells Plain in Cape Town, only 5 000
of the 50 000 men with maintenance orders against them are paying.

Even when fathers do pay maintenance, there is no guarantee that the money
will reach its intended beneficiaries. Scores of court officials are being
investigated after millions in maintenance payments have gone missing over a
period of several years. The court administration is so shoddy that it is
not even known how much money has been stolen from the courts because they
have not been audited for almost 50 years.

Many women do not even go to the courts to get their money because of the
difficulties involved, while those who do are forced to spend hours in long
queues at magistrate's courts in humiliating circumstances.

ACDP welcomes the appointment of 55 maintenance investigators, however we
trust more will be appointed soon as the present numbers of investigators
are insufficient.

Stringent steps are needed to enforce court orders deducting maintenance
from salaries. Non-compliance of such court orders should be met with an
immediate prosecution for contempt of court stronger action is needed.



For more information: Rhoda Southgate MP at 082 875 8194
Media Liaison: Charmaine Horne at 084 370 3550 or 021 403 3307