Objectives of the Act

Enhance access to justice by conferring jurisdiction on courts
for regional divisions which are distributed throughout the
national territory to deal with certain civil matters, including
matters currently dealt with in the Divorce Courts established
under section 10 of the Administration Amendment Act ,1929,
and

Promote the development of judicial expert’s among the ranks
of magistrates with the view to broadening the pool of fit and
proper persons qualifying for appointment to the superior
courts,

The Divorce Courts established under section 10 of the Administration
Amendment Act,1929, had their origins based on race;

An although now open to all races are not geographically distributed
throughout the national territory;

Courts for regional divisions only deal with criminal matters, while
courts for district deal with criminal and civil matters

Establish a Regional Civil Jurisdiction.
It is consequently the purpose of this act, as an interim measure, pending
the further rationalization of the lower courts

Any proceeding instituted in a Divorce Court established under
section 10 of the Administration Amendment Act, 1929 (Act 9 of 1929),
before the commencement of this section and which are not concluded
before the commencement of this section must be continued and
concluded in all respects as if this had not passed.

each Divorce Court, 1929 (Act 9 of 1929), becomes a court of
the regional division designated by the Minister in respect of
that court;

Any person holding office as a presiding officer of a divorce
court, hold office as a magistrate of the regional civil division.

Regional Divisions

Eastern Cape

Seat of the court – Port Elizabeth

Places appointed:

1. East London
2. Grahamstown
3. Graaf – Reinett
4. Kings Williams TOwn
5. Mthatha
6. Port Elizabeth
7. Queenstown

Free State

Seat of the Court – Bloemfontein

Places Appointed:

1. Bethlehem
2. Bloemfontein
3. Kroonstad
4. Welkom

Gauteng

Seat of the court – Johannesburg

Places Appointed

1. Ekangala
2. Johannesburg
3. Kliptown
4. Kempton Park
5. Oberholzer
6. Pretoria
7. Randburg
8. Roodepoort
9. Germiston
10. Vereeniging
11. Springs

Kwazulu – Natal

Seat of the court – Durban

Places Appointed

1. Durban
2. Empangeni
3. Newcastle
4. Vryheid
5. Pietermaritzburg
6. Port Shepstone

Limpopo

Seat of the court – Polokwane

Places Appointed

1. Giyani
2. Lebowakgomo
3. Sekhukhune
4. Modimolie
5. Polokwane
6. Tzaneen
7. Thohoyandou

Mpumalanga

Seat of the court – Mbombela

Places Appointed

1. Eerstehoek (Eukwatini)
2. Evander
3. KwaMahlanga
4. Middelburg
5. Mbombela

Northern Cape

Seat of the court – Kimberley

Places Appointed

1. De Aar
2. Kimberley
3. Springbok
4. Upington

North West

Seat of the court – Mmabatho

Places Appointed

1. Brits
2. Ga – Rankuwa
3. Klerksdorp
4. Mmabatho
5. Potchefstroom
6. Rustenburg
7. Temba
8. Vryburg

Western Cape

Seat of the court – Cape – Town

Places Appointed

1. Atlantis
2. Bellville
3. Cape Town
4. George
5. Mitchells Plain
6. Oudsthoorn
7. Somerset West
8. Worcester