Africa-Press – South-Africa. The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) has denied responsibility for disruptions caused by load shedding in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg.
On Tuesday, the department said its only mandate was to provide, install or fix generators, and accused the court of failing to procure diesel in time to ensure it could continue without disruptions.
DPWI spokesperson Thamsanqa Mchunu said buying diesel was not the department’s mandate.
The department was responding to Deputy Judge President of the Gauteng High Court Judge Roland Sutherland, who said last week that “many things were not optimal” at the court in Johannesburg due to load shedding.
Sutherland blamed the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) and the DPWI, which he said failed to provide the court with generators that would last during load shedding.
Because of this, he said the court had to reschedule cases, change locations and hold hearings virtually.
Mchunu said: “There was nothing that the department could do about that as client departments are responsible for buying consumables and ensuring that generators do not run out of fuel. We, as the department, are responsible for the installation, maintenance, and fixing of generators.”
He added that the department advised clients to invest in backup systems, including solar, to avoid disruptions witnessed in the high court.
Mchunu said a technician was on-site to monitor potential glitches with the generators.
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