For the past 11 consecutive days, the Constitutional Court building in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, has been unable to conduct physical or in-court hearings due to an unreliable water supply.
This was revealed by the Office of the Chief Justice in a media statement released on Monday.
“The Constitutional Court has, since the beginning of the current court term on 1 November, been unable to conduct physical or in-court case hearings because of unreliable water supply in the court building,” reads the statement.
The Office of the Chief Justice said the cause of the ongoing irregular water supply challenge is not known.
Water leaks detected
“Although it appears to be generalised in the Hillbrow area where the court is located, water leaks in the court’s water system were also detected, which further impacted water supply in the court.
“A professional plumber deployed by the department of public works and infrastructure, together with the department of justice and constitutional development, has since addressed the water leaks,” reads the media statement.
The Office of the Chief Justice said that while the apex court has a water tank installed for ablution facilities, this back-up water supply lasts for only a day, and the City of Johannesburg is unable to refill it promptly on a daily basis to allow court operations to continue uninterrupted.
“As a result, the court has been unable to conduct physical or in-court hearings.
“Constitutional Court management is in regular contact with the City of Johannesburg and Rand Water regarding the ongoing water supply challenges in the Hillbrow area.
“The court will provide an update to court users when more information comes to light,” said the Office of the Chief Justice.
