JSC APPOINTS LUNGILE, CEBSILE AS MAGISTRATES

SITEKI – Prominent Siteki-based attorney Lungile Shongwe and Assistant Master of the High Court for Lubombo, Cebsile Ngwenya, have been appointed as Magistrates.

The duo was reportedly appointed by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), effective from Friday last week.
Yesterday morning, High Court Registrar Siphiwo Masuku introduced the new judicial officers to Lubombo Principal Magistrate Dumisani Magagula.
In turn, Magagula introduced the duo to the Siteki Magistrates Court staff, Correctional Services officers, court orderlies and journalists.

The judicial officers were then shown around the whole court building and the first stop was at the child-friendly court.
At this facility, they were taught about the operations of the technological devices used in trials of sexual abuse cases involving minors.
They also visited the main court building and the chambers of the principal magistrate.

Shongwe, the newly-appointed magistrate, demonstrated a calm and relaxed demeanour during the tour.
This could be attributed to the fact that she is quite familiar with the entire court building.

Handled

As an attorney based in Siteki, she frequented Siteki Magistrates Court probably more than any other courtroom where she handled mostly civil matters.
When asked to comment on their appointment, the two judicial officers simply smiled.
They both stated that they had nothing to say except that they were excited and ready to hit the ground running. Meanwhile, court orderlies and clerks hailed the appointment of the two.

The general feeling among the magistrates court staff was that the appointment of the two will ease the backlog of cases in the region, specifically at Siteki Magistrates Court.

For the past couple of years, there had been only two magistrates for the Siteki Court yet it is one of the busiest courts in the country.
The magistrates based in Siteki had to handle matters in the other courts, including Simunye, Big Bend and Siphofaneni.

Appointment

The appointment of Shongwe and Ngwenya means that there are now six magistrates for the Lubombo Region.
A questionnaire was sent to JSC secretary Lungile Msimango but she had not responded to it at the time of compiling this report.
She had requested that formal questions be sent to her when she was asked about the appointment of Shongwe and Ngwenya.
 

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