By Nicole McCain.
The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has been temporarily closed due to a power outage, as the court’s generators are currently out of commission.
It is the second time a Gauteng court has been forced to close its doors due to a utility outage in less than a week, with the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg closing last week due to a water shortage.
In a statement, the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) said that the Pretoria court would “temporarily cease operations today, Tuesday, due to a power outage in the Tshwane CBD affecting the court”.
“The court’s generator is currently out of commission,” the OCJ added.
“Affected parties will be contacted regarding alternative arrangements for all matters scheduled on the court roll for the day. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
On Thursday, the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg closed temporarily due to ongoing water outages.
A statement from the court advised that it was temporarily closed at 11:00 because there was no water in the building.
According to Johannesburg Water, the citywide water outages are being blamed on “high demand exceeding available capacity”. This means that Johannesburg needs more water than the bulk supplier, Rand Water, can supply.
In a statement on Thursday, Johannesburg Water said the water outages were also impacted by a power failure in Emfuleni, which disrupted pumping from Rand Water’s Forest Hill and Eikenhof systems.