Directive

1. THIS DIRECTIVE IS RELEVANT TO COURT OPERATIONS IN RESPECT OF ALL
CIVIL COURTS WITHIN THE JOHANNESBURG CLUSTER DURING THE
NATIONAL LOCKDOWN PERIOD. IT WILL REMAIN EFFECTIVE UNTIL 08H00 ON
MONDAY 4 MAY 2020.
2. During the above period, all matters already enrolled on any and all of the civil court
rolls, including but not limited to trials, motions, debt reviews, default judgments,
section 65 and section 74, pre-trials, interpleaders, will not be heard on the
designated dates but must be re-scheduled with the respective clerk of the court after
the 4th day of May 2020;
3. Parties and representatives are not required to attend court on the designated dates.
All matters enrolled from 27 March to 30 April 2020 are hereby ipso facto removed
from the roll without any formalities being required from or by the parties or their
representatives. Matters enrolled for hearing on and from Monday 4 may 2020
onwards shall proceed as normal.
4. Only urgent matters will be granted a hearing by arrangement with the motion court
clerk. All urgent matters must specifically motivate why it should be heard during the
period of the lockdown;
5. Clerks of the Court will not issue or accept any documents except for urgent matters
duly motivated and matters where there is a risk of prescription, or for other reason
properly motivated. Matters of this nature must be submitted to the clerk of the civil
court between 08:00am and 11:00am.
6. Clerks will only be available from the 4 May 2020 for allocation of new dates and for
re-scheduling of matters.
7. Except as stated above, there will be no filing of documents. All documents must be
retained for filing from 4 May 2020 onwards.
__________________
YP SIDLOVA
CHIEF MAGISTRATE
ACTING CLUSTER HEAD
JOHANNESBURG