The magistrates' courts are the lowest level of the court system in South Africa. They are the courts of first instance for most criminal cases except for the most serious crimes, and for civil cases where the value of the claim is below a fixed monetary limit.
Divisions and districts South Africa is divided into magisterial districts and sub-districts, each of which is served by a district magistrate's court and in some cases also branch courts or periodical courts. Districts are grouped together into regional divisions served by a regional court, which hears more serious cases. At present there is one regional division established for each province, and the regional court sits at multiple locations throughout the province. there were 509 district, sub-district and branch courts. there were 1,717 magistrates including 320 regional magistrates.
Jurisdiction In criminal matters a district court has jurisdiction over all offences except treason, murder and rape, and a regional court has jurisdiction over all offences except treason. A district court can impose a fine of not more than R120,000 or a prison sentence of not more than three years, while a regional court can impose a fine of not more than R600,000 or a prison sentence of not more than 15 years, except that for certain offences a regional court can also impose a life sentence. In civil matters a district court has jurisdiction where the value of the claim is R200,000 or less, while a regional court has jurisdiction where the value of the claim is between R200,000 and R400,000. A regional court also has jurisdiction over divorce and related family law matters.
Cases in which no magistrate's court has jurisdiction must be brought before the High Court, which has the inherent jurisdiction to hear any case. The High Court also hears appeals from the magistrates' courts, and cases in which the constitutionality of any law or conduct of the President is brought into question.
List of magistrates' courts The following towns host a district magistrate's court, a detached court of a sub-district, or a branch court.
Eastern Cape
Adelaide Alexandria Alice Bedford Bityi Burgersdorp Cacadu (Lady Frere) Cala Cathcart Centane (Kentani) Cofimvaba Cumakala (Stutterheim) Dimbaza Dordrecht Dutywa Ekhephini (Barkly East) eMaxesibeni (Mount Ayliff) Ezibeleni Flagstaff Gcuwa (Butterworth) Gelvandale Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) Graaff-Reinet Hankey Hofmeyr Humansdorp Indwe Jamestown Jansenville Joubertina Kariega Keiskammahoek Khowa (Elliot) Komani (Queenstown) Komga KuGompo City (East London) KwaBhaca (Mount Frere) KwaMaqoma (Fort Beaufort) KwaNobuhle KwaNojoli (Somerset East) Lady Grey Libode Lusikisiki Makhanda (Grahamstown) Maletswai (Aliwal North) Maloti Matatiele Mbizana Mdantsane Middelburg Middledrift Molteno Motherwell Mpofu (Seymour) Mqanduli Mthatha New Brighton Ngcobo Ngqamakhwe Ngqeleni Nqanqarhu (Maclear) Nqweba (Kirkwood) Ntabankulu Ntabethemba Nxuba (Cradock) Pearston Peddie Port Alfred Port St. Johns Qonce (King William's Town) Qumbu Sterkspruit Sterkstroom Steynsburg Steytlerville Tarkastad Tlokoeng (Mount Fletcher) Tsolo Tsomo Venterstad Whittlesea Willowmore Willowvale Xamdeboo (Aberdeen) Xhora (Elliotdale) Zwelitsha
Free State
Bethlehem Bethulie Bloemfontein Boshof Bothaville Botshabelo Brandfort Bultfontein Dealesville Dewetsdorp Edenburg Edenville Excelsior Fauresmith Ficksburg Fouriesburg Frankfort Harrismith Heilbron Hennenman Hertzogville Hlohlolwane (Clocolan) Hobhouse Hoopstad Jacobsdal Jagersfontein Kestell Koffiefontein Koppies Kroonstad Ladybrand Lindley Makwane Mamafubedu (Petrus Steyn) Marquard Memel Odendaalsrus Parys Paul Roux Petrusburg Philippolis Phuthaditjhaba Reddersburg Reitz Rosendal Rouxville Sasolburg Senekal Smithfield Springfontein Steynsrus Thaba Nchu Theunissen Trompsburg Tseki Tsheseng Tweespruit Ventersburg Viljoenskroon Villiers Virginia Vrede Vredefort Warden Welkom Wepener Wesselsbron Winburg Zastron
Gauteng
Alexandra Atteridgeville Benoni Boksburg Booysens Brakpan Brixton Bronkhorstspruit Cullinan Daveyton Diepsloot Edenvale Ekangala Fochville Ga-Rankuwa Germiston Hatfield Heidelberg Hillbrow Jeppestown Johannesburg Kagiso Kempton Park Khutsong Kliptown Krugersdorp Lenasia Mamelodi Meadowlands Meyerton Midrand Newlands Nigel Oberholzer Orlando Palm Ridge (Alberton) Pretoria Pretoria North Randburg Randfontein Roodepoort Sebokeng Soshanguve Soweto Springs Temba Tembisa Tsakane Vanderbijlpark Vereeniging Vosloorus Westonaria
KwaZulu-Natal
Babanango Bergville Camperdown Charlestown Chatsworth Colenso Dannhauser Dududu Dukuza Dundee Durban eDumbe (Paulpietersburg) Emlazi eManzimtoti (Amanzimtoti) Empangeni eMthonjaneni (Melmoth) eNyoni Eshowe eSikhawini Estcourt eXobho (Ixopo) Ezakheni eZinqoleni Glencoe Greytown Hammarsdale Harding Himeville Hlabisa Howick Impendle Ingwavuma Inkanyezi Kokstad Kranskop KwaDukuza KwaMsane Ladysmith Louwsburg Madadeni Magudu Manguzi Mapumulo Mooi River Msinga Mtubatuba Mtunzini Ncotshane Ndwedwe New Hanover Newcastle Newlands Ngwelezane Nkandla Nongoma Nqutu Nsimbini Nsuze Ntuzuma Phoenix Phungashe Pietermaritzburg Pinetown Point Polela Pomeroy Pongola Port Shepstone Richards Bay Richmond Sawoti Scottburgh Ubombo Ulundi Umbumbulu Umzimkulu Umzinto Umzumbe Utrecht Verulam Vryheid Wasbank Weenen Wentworth Winterton
Limpopo
Bela-Bela Dzanani Ga-Kgapane Giyani Groblersdal Hoedspruit Lebowakgomo Lenyenye Lephalale Louis Trichardt Lulekani Mahwelereng Malamulele Mankweng Matlerekeng Modimolle Mokopane Mookgophong Morebeng Moutse Musina Mutale Namakgale Nebo Nkowankowa Northam Phalaborwa Phalala Polokwane Praktiseer Sekhukhune Senwabarwana Senwamokgope Seshego Thabazimbi Thohoyandou Tiyani Tshilwavhusiku Tshitale Tzaneen Vuwani Waterval
Mpumalanga
Acornhoek Amersfoort Balfour Barberton Bethal Breyten Bushbuckridge Carolina Delmas Dirkiesdorp Elukwatini (Eerstehoek) eMakhazeni (Belfast) eMalahleni (Witbank) Emgwenya (Waterval Boven) eMkhondo (Piet Retief) eMvelo (Amsterdam) Ermelo Evander Ga-Nala (Kriel) Kabokweni KaNyamazane Komatipoort Kwaggafontein KwaMhlanga Mashishing (Lydenburg) Masoyi Mbibana Mbombela (Nelspruit) Middelburg Mkhuhlu Sabie Secunda Siyabuswa Standerton Thulamahashe Tonga Volksrust Vosman Wakkerstroom White River
North West
Atamelang Bloemhof Brits Christiana Coligny Delareyville Ganyesa Groot Marico Itsoseng Kgomotso Klerksdorp Koster Lehurutshe Lichtenburg Madikwe Mankwe Marikana Mmabatho (Mahikeng) Orkney Ottosdal Ottoshoop Potchefstroom Rustenburg Schweizer-Reneke Setlagole Stilfontein Swartruggens Taung Tlhabane Ventersdorp Vryburg Wolmaransstad Zeerust
Northern Cape
Barkly West Britstown Calvinia Carnarvon Colesberg De Aar Douglas Fraserburg Galeshewe Garies Griekwastad Groblershoop Hanover Hartswater Heuningvlei Hopetown Jan Kempdorp Kakamas Kathu Keimoes Kenhardt Kimberley Kudumane (Mothibistad) Kuruman Noupoort Olifantshoek Pampierstad Philipstown Pofadder Port Nolloth Postmasburg Prieska Richmond Springbok Sutherland Tsineng Upington Victoria West Warrenton Williston
Western Cape
Albertinia Athlone Atlantis Beaufort West Bellville Bishop Lavis Blue Downs Bonnievale Bredasdorp Caledon Calitzdorp Cape Town Ceres Clanwilliam Fezeka (Gugulethu) George Goodwood Grabouw Heidelberg Hermanus Hopefield Khayelitsha Knysna Kuils River Laaiplek (Velddrif) Ladismith Laingsburg Malmesbury Mitchell's Plain Montagu Moorreesburg Mossel Bay Muizenberg Murraysburg Oudtshoorn Paarl Philippi Piketberg Plettenberg Bay Porterville Prince Albert Riversdale Robertson Simon's Town Somerset West Stellenbosch Strand Swellendam Thembalethu Tulbagh Uniondale Vanrhynsdorp Villiersdorp Vredenburg Vredendal Wellington Wolseley Worcester Wynberg
See also Courts of South Africa
References