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KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court of South Africa
The Durban courthouse of the KwaZulu-Natal Division
29°35′58″S 30°22′49″E / 29.5994°S 30.3804°E / -29.5994; 30.3804
Established	1846 (Natal District Court)
Jurisdiction	KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Location	Pietermaritzburg (main seat), Durban (local seat)
Coordinates	29°35′58″S 30°22′49″E / 29.5994°S 30.3804°E / -29.5994; 30.3804
Composition method	Presidential appointment on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission
Authorised by	Chp. 8 of the Constitution; Superior Courts Act, 2013
Appeals to	Supreme Court of Appeal Constitutional Court
Judge President
Currently	Thoba Poyo-Dlwati

The KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court of South Africa is a superior court of law with general jurisdiction over the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The main seat of the division is at Pietermaritzburg, while a subordinate local seat at Durban has concurrent jurisdiction over the coastal region of the province. As of January 2024 the Judge President of the division is Thoba Poyo-Dlwati.

History

The Natalia Republic, established in 1839 by Voortrekkers, was annexed by Britain in 1843 and renamed Natal. In 1844 it was attached to the Cape Colony, and in 1846 a District Court for Natal was established with its seat in Pietermaritzburg. In 1856 Natal was detached from the Cape and became a separate colony, and in 1857 the District Court was replaced by a Supreme Court of Natal. When the Union of South Africa was formed in 1910, the Supreme Court of Natal became the Natal Provincial Division of the Supreme Court of South Africa; at the same time, the circuit court at Durban became the Durban & Coast Local Division. When the current Constitution of South Africa came into force in 1997, the courts became High Courts, and in 2009 they were renamed the KwaZulu-Natal High Courts. In 2013, in the restructuring brought about by the Superior Courts Act, the courts became two seats of a single KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court of South Africa.

After former South African President Jacob Zuma failed to appear in court on 4 February 2020, the KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court of South Africa issued an arrest warrant against Zuma.

Seats

Judges

As of January 2023, the permanent judges of the KwaZulu-Natal Division were:

• Thoba Poyo-Dlwati (Judge President)
• Isaac Madondo (Deputy Judge President)
• Piet Koen
• Dhaya Pillay
• N. H. Radebe
• R. Seegobin
• J. A. Ploos van Amstel
• G. Lopes
• Mahendra Chetty
• N. E. Chili
• P. C. Buizedenhout
• C. S. Sibiya
• M. T. Ncube
• R. G. Mossop
• G. N. Kruger
• K. Pillay
• S. R. Balton
• M. S. Moodley
• E. J. S. Steyn
• J. I. Henriques
• Z. P. Nkosi
• R. A. K. Vahed
• P. J. Olsen
• Mokgere Masipa
• K. Q. Hadebe
• S. B. Mngadi
• B. S. M. Bedderson
• M. E. Nkosi

See also

• Category:Judges of the KwaZulu-Natal High Court

References

1. "Legal centre of Natal". Pietermaritzburg Local History. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
2. Khan, F. W.; Heunis, T. L. (2003). "Chapter 1: The historical development of the Supreme Court of South Africa" (PDF). A review of the administrative recess system in the High Court. Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. p. 6.
3. Swails, Brent. "Arrest warrant issued for former South Africa President Jacob Zuma". CNN. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
4. "Kwazulu-Natal Division Judges". Judiciary. Retrieved 2024-01-06.

External links

• Decisions handed down up to 2009
• Decisions handed down at Pietermaritzburg since 2009
• Decisions handed down at Durban since 2009

v t e Courts of South Africa
Appellate courts	Constitutional Court Supreme Court of Appeal
High Court divisions	Eastern Cape Free State Gauteng KwaZulu-Natal Limpopo Mpumalanga North West Northern Cape Western Cape
Lower courts	Regional courts Magistrate's courts Traditional courts Small claims courts Equality courts
Specialist courts	Labour Court Labour Appeal Court Land Claims Court Competition Appeal Court Electoral Court
Judiciary of South Africa Law of South Africa Department of Justice and Constitutional Development Superior Courts Act, 2013

• Government of KwaZulu-Natal
• High Court of South Africa
• Durban
• Pietermaritzburg
• 1848 establishments in South Africa
• Courts and tribunals established in 1848