Presenting the budget in Parliament on Tuesday, Kubayi said the department’s priorities include “fighting crime and corruption, increasing access to justice through improved efficiency and effectiveness of our systems, and deepening the transformation of the legal sector”.
As part of efforts to tackle Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF), the minister announced that 20 additional sexual offences courts will be established in areas with high rates of sexual crimes.
She also revealed that 44 district courts will be upgraded to meet domestic violence minimum standards, while the National Prosecuting Authority’s Thuthuzela Care Centres will increase from 68 to 72 during the current financial year.
Kubayi said the department remains committed to creating “a criminal justice system that is preventative, responsive and effective” in dealing with GBVF cases.
Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi tabled the department’s 2026/27 R26.3 billion budget in Parliament on Tuesday.
“The priorities for this financial year include fighting crime and corruption, increasing access to justice through improved efficiency… pic.twitter.com/kk8eSbcK6S
— @SAgovnews (@SAgovnews) May 12, 2026
She also outlined plans to improve access to justice in rural and township communities by extending services to 19 courts that currently operate as satellite points for larger magistrates’ courts.
Kubayi said the initiative aims to bring justice services closer to communities while reducing travelling costs and easing pressure on major courts.
On infrastructure, over R463 million has been allocated for lower court buildings and fixed structures, with 186 projects expected to benefit from the funding. A further R48.5 million has been earmarked for court maintenance projects across provinces.
Kubayi also stressed the need to transform the legal sector, particularly in favour of black and women legal practitioners. She said the request for quotation system used by the Office of the State Attorney would be reviewed to ensure briefing patterns are more inclusive and equitable.
“To deal with the backlog on state litigation, we are going to bring in legal experts who are going to help us assess the merits of each case to determine the best course of action,” Kubayi said, adding that this would help reduce delays and lower litigation costs for the state.
The budget includes R16.4 billion for employee compensation, R5.4 billion for goods and services, and R3.8 billion for transfers and subsidies to public and constitutional entities. However, the overall budget was reduced by R332.1 million due to lower inflation targets and the transfer of some functions to the Office of the Chief Justice.
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