1. Department of Justice and Constitutional Development
Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development Branch : Master of the High Court
Adv M Simelane
Director–General
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development
27 August 2008

2. Structure of Report OUTLINE Purpose of Report
- To report on developments in the Branch: Master of the High Court
Structure of Report
- Strategic Objectives
Achievements for 2007/2008
Areas of Improvement

3. DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MASTERS BRANCH
Finances
● Current Budget : R 240, 837,000,00
Establishment
● Previous Establishment 699
● Current Establishment
Training
● Legal Interns
Law Reform
● Customary Law Reform
Insolvency Matters
● Regulatory Framework

4. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
Making the Masters services accessible to all (particularly the rural and the poor).
Modernizing the Masters services by reforming our legislation and automating our business processes to ensure that these are rendered in the most cost-effective and efficient manner to the public.
Providing effective supervision of the liquidation and sequestration processes by enhancing legislation and developing the appropriate monitoring capacity for the purpose of protecting the interest of the vulnerable and the poor.

5. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1
Making the Masters services accessible to all (particularly the rural and the poor).
Provision of Masters services by legally qualified professionals.
DELIVERABLES
Increased proximity and easy access to Masters services.
Improved quality of services
Public education and communication
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Number of sub-offices and mobile offices established
Reduce number of unqualified staff
Monitoring and evaluation system in place
Improved turnaround times
Number of lectures/seminars/publications/educational informational materials/radio/tv shows

6. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2
Modernizing the Masters services by reforming legislation and automating business processes to ensure that these are rendered in the most costs effective, and efficient manner to the public.
DELIVERABLES :
Automating manual systems
Standardized policies systems and procedures
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Automated systems for the Guardians Fund, Estates, Insolvencies and Curatorships.
Uniform approach to administration and management services
Ministers Policy on appointment of Insolvency Practitioners

7. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3
Providing effective supervision of liquidation and sequestration processes by enhancing legislation and developing the appropriate monitoring capacity for the purpose of protecting the interest of the vulnerable and the poor
DELIVERABLES
Amending/enacting legislation and regulations
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Bills passed by Parliament
Establishing an efficient framework regulating the liquidations industry

8. ACHIEVEMENTS FOR 2007/2008
5 of the 6 Guardians Fund offices are automated (Cape Town, Grahamstown, Pietermaritzburg, Kimberley, and Bloemfontein)
Plans are underway to open new Guardians funds offices in Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Mthatha, Bisho , Mafikeng and Polokwane.
All business processes have now been documented and simplified.
New accommodation was secured for the Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth offices.
Considerable progress has been made in filling vacant posts.

9. AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT Quick and speedy finalization of estates
Improved Access to the Guardians Fund Services
Quick and speedy finalization of estates
Finalizing the regulatory framework for lnsolvency Practitioners
Compliance with Black Economic Empowerment
Introduction of Business Rescue Services.