Unpaid messengers stall court proceedings

Judicial services across Namibia have been severely hampered in recent months due to non-payment of Messengers of the Court, with significant knock-on effects for child maintenance cases and civil matters.Head of Public Relations at the Office of the Judiciary, Vikitoria Hango, acknowledged the delays and the impact on service delivery.Since January, the delay in payments has caused messengers to halt services, resulting in a backlog of unserved court documents, including maintenance summonses and other essential legal notices.With the courts unable to proceed without properly served summonses, many maintenance complainants remain in limbo. Some have reportedly arrived at court only to be turned away without hearings or future dates scheduled.Hango said the judiciary recognises the challenges that have emerged due to the delay in payments to the messengers of the court. “To alleviate the burden and improve operational efficiency, the Office has proposed reinstating direct payments to messengers at magistrates’ courts rather than routing everything through our Head Office.”Hango added that the judiciary has already sought approval from the finance ministry to implement this decentralised payment model to prevent further disruption.No payments since JanuaryA source told Namibian Sun that the messengers were only paid on Tuesday. "It was due to delays with the new financial year’s budget. Windhoek’s Messenger of the Court hadn’t received any payments since January. As a result, summonses weren’t being served,” the source said.The source added: “Maintenance enquiries are not going ahead because defendants are not being summoned to appear. "Complainants arrive at court, often after travelling long distances, only to be told to go back home without any explanation or rescheduled date,” the course added.Messengers of the Court are not classified as formal civil servants. They are appointed under Sections 14(a) and (b) of the Magistrates’ Courts Act (Act 32 of 1994) and report directly to district magistrates. In civil matters, their remuneration is paid by litigating parties, often through lawyers. However, the Office of the Judiciary facilitates payments in maintenance and criminal matters, making messengers dependent on state-issued disbursements.Messengers of the Court play a vital administrative role, serving legal documents such as maintenance summonses, warrants of execution, and emolument attachment orders. The Office of the Judiciary has indicated that resolving the issue remains a priority, with steps taken to clear the backlog and avoid future disruptions.

Unpaid messengers stall court proceedings

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-02

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Unpaid messengers stall court proceedings

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-02

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