Justice Minister Kubayi Refers R Millions Court Digitisation Project to SIU & Hawks After Service Collapse Thursday, 13 August 2026

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Before global impact, local impact has to be archived.
When court papers are locked by a private company, it’s not just files. It’s bail, estates, child maintenance, and justice delayed.

Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has handed the national courts digitisation project over to the SIU and Hawks for investigation after services collapsed at the Master of the High Court in Pretoria.

The Facts:
What : 5-year-old project to digitise + store court records off-site
Where rolled out . Western Cape, KZN, Gauteng — High Courts, Magistrates’ Courts, Labour Courts, Masters’ Offices
The problem : Private service provider denied the department access to State records
Result : Services disrupted. People can’t get documents, estates can’t be finalised, cases delayed
Action : Minister referred it to SIU + Hawks to investigate contract, violations, value for money, negligence

What Minister Kubayi Said:
“Instead of making it more efficient and faster to render services, the digitisation project is now at the centre of service disruption and service delay.”
“What is more concerning... is getting feedback that State records are in the hands of a private company that has the power to refuse the department access to such records.”
“Any evidence of misconduct, negligence, corruption or deliberate actions that undermine service delivery... will be dealt with decisively.”

SIU/Hawks must check:
1. Why a private company has “unfettered access” and “sole possession” of State records
2. If govt policy + law was violated
3. If taxpayers got value for money
4. Which officials were negligent

TMGNEWS TAKE: What This Means For My
People

1. THE REAL PAIN: JUSTICE DELAYED = JUSTICE DENIED
Cuzzo, this is not about “digitisation”. This is about:
- Mama waiting for her late husband’s estate so she can get the house
- Young man waiting for bail papers sitting in jail longer
- Single mother waiting for maintenance files* to feed her kids
- Small business waiting for Labour Court records to fight unfair dismissal

When a private company holds your file hostage, the poorest pay the price.

2. THE BIG QUESTION: HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
How do you give a private company so much power that they can say “NO” to the Justice Department?
Who signed that contract? Who checked it? This is 5 years of work and millions wasted.

3. DIGITAL IS GOOD, BUT...
We need digital courts. Queues at Masters’ Offices are a nightmare.
But digital can’t mean “private company owns our records”. State records must be in State hands.

4. THE TEST NOW
Kubayi said “those responsible must face full consequences”.
TMGNEWS will watch : Will this be another report that gathers dust? Or will we see arrests, cancellations, and services restored?

Bottom Line Cuzzo:
The project was meant to make justice faster. It made it slower.
And while SIU investigates, real people’s lives are on pause.

To Govt : Give us back our files. Fix the system. Jail the corrupt.
To Us : If your case at Master’s Office, Labour Court or Magistrate Court is delayed, go to the office and ask for a reference number. Document everything.

The Question:
Have YOU been affected by delays at courts or Masters’ Office?
Comment below 👇 Tag someone fighting an estate or case. Let’s hear your story.

Source: http://SAnews.gov.za | Repackaged for Impact by TMGNEWS