The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DOJ&CD) invites interested and suitably qualified candidates to apply for the position of Offices of the Sheriffs in the following areas.
Position: Offices of Sheriffs
Location: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and Western Cape.
A. THE HIGH AND LOWER COURTS
Eastern Cape: •Alice (Victoria East) & Middeldrift •Dordrecht; Indwe & Lady Frere •East London L •Kariega •Mqanduli •Mthatha •Uitenhage
•Willowvale (Gatyana)
Free State: •Frankfort & Villiers •Rouxville, Smithfield & Zastron •Vrede, Memel & Warden
Gauteng: •Benoni •Bronkhorstspruit & Ekangala •Fochville & Oberholzer •Germiston North •Heidelberg & Balfour •Johannesburg East •Johannesburg North •Pretoria Central •Pretoria East •Pretoria North East •Randburg South West (excl Kaya Sands areas) •Soshanguve •Vanderbijlpark (incl Sebokeng) •WestRand (Westonaria and Randfontein)
Kwa Zulu-Natal: •Durban South •Inanda 2 •Ixopo, Polela [Bulwer], Richmond & Underberg •Kokstad & Umzimkhulu •Paulpietersburg, Pongola & Utrecht •Zululand 2
Limpopo: •Bela-Bela •Giyani •Hlanganani •Lepelle Nkumpi •Malamulele, Tiyani & Vuwani •Mokgopong •Musina •Nkowankowa •Seshego •Tshilwavhusiku
Mpumalanga: •Mkhondo (Amsterdam & Piet Retief) •Belfast L & Waterval Boven L •Bethal •Emalahleni (Witbank) •Mapulaneng & Mhala
Northern Cape: •(Gordonia) Kakamas, Keimoes & Kenhardt •Kudumane
North West: •Christiana •Stilfontein •Vryburg
Western Cape: •Beaufort West •Goodwood Area 1 •Hermanus •Knysna •Piketberg (Laaiplek/Porterville) •Robertson •Simonstown & Pelican Heights •Somerset West •Swellendam •Van Rhynsdorp & Vredendal •Wellington H •Worcester •Ceres, Tulbagh & Wolsle
Requirements for holding an office of sheriff:
Applicants must be: a South African citizen or has been lawfully admitted to the Republic for permanent residence and is ordinarily resident in the Republic; a fit and proper person; able to demonstrate the financial and other ability required to establish and operate a sheriff ’s office; is competent to conduct the business of sheriff and has at least
• An appropriate post grade 12 qualification, i.e. a certificate, diploma and/or degree obtained from a recognized Tertiary or Higher Learning institution that enhances the knowledge of an applicant in the business of a sheriff and/or in legal and court processes that was duly obtained by the Applicant after the completion of a grade 12 certificate (or due to an age exemption), will be considered an appropriate post grade 12 qualification. In the case of age exemption, proof of such exemption must be obtained from the Department of Education and in respect of any international certificate, diploma and/ or degree proof must be obtained from the South African Qualification Authority.
• An understanding of civil law.
• Knowledge and an understanding of the relevant aspects of the Constitution of South Africa, Insolvency Act, Magistrates’ Court Act, State Liability Act, Prescription Act, Criminal Procedure Act, Sheriffs Act, Security by Means of Movable Property Act, Labour Relations Act, Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Maintenance Act, Rental Housing Act, National Credit Act, Consumer Protection Act, Superior Courts Act, Rules of Superior and Lower Courts, Rules of the Supreme Court of Appeal.
A sheriff is not an employee of the Department and generates his/ her income from the service an the execution of court documents in terms of the
prescribed tariffs. The applicant must demonstrate the potential ability to establish and operate an office to conduct business relating the service of
summonses and other court processes; the execution of warrants of execution and ejectment interdicts and garnishee orders; the making of inventories on the processing of warrants of execution; the provision of returns of service; the holding of execution auctions; and the keeping of a trust account of a sheriff.
A person appointed as a sheriff may not perform or engage in any remunerative work outside the office of a sheriff without the approval of the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services. The person appointed as sheriff cannot perform the functions of a sheriff unless he/she has been issued with a Fidelity Fund Certificate, issued by the South African Board for Sheriffs.
Preference will be given to applicants whose appointments will promote equitable demographic representation and inclusiveness
by race, gender, disability or any of the constitutionally recognized grounds.
All applications must be completed on the Form 1 (J743) and must be accompanied by:
(a) a curriculum vitae of the applicant;
(b) a certified copy of the identity document of the applicant;
(c) certified copies of all educational qualifications of the applicant;
(d) certified copies of certificates of service or, if not available, an affidavit by the applicant in respect of previous periods of employment rendered by him or her;
(e) testimonials from 2 previous employers of the applicant, if available;
(f) the nature and history of any past or present business undertaking, occupation or trade of the applicant;
(g) the names, addresses and telephone numbers of two references;
(h) an affidavit regarding previous convictions and sequestrations, if any;
(i) an affidavit with the necessary supporting documents, if applicable, that an applicant has the financial ability to establish and operate an
office of sheriff, including a list of all assets and liabilities of such an applicant; and
(j) a certified copy of his or her driver’s license, if the applicant has a valid driver’s licence.
Closing date: 01 October 2024
Applications must be submitted on Form 1 (J743) obtainable from the following websites: www.doj.gov.za and www.sheriffs.org.za. Forms may also be requested from the court Manager at the Magistrates’ Office.
It must be noted that where an applicant applies for more than one of the above vacant sheriff offices then Part B of Form 1 makes provision for the applicant to list three vacant sheriff offices within a specific province thereon. If the applicant is applying for vacant sheriff offices in other provinces, then separate Form 1 applications will have to be submitted to the Secretariat of the relevant Provincial Advisory Committee in lieu of the relevant vacant sheriff ’s offices within such province.
How to apply
Applications must be addressed to the secretariat of the relevant Provincial Advisory Committee:
• Eastern Cape: Mr A Witbooi: Private Bag X3904, North End, Port Elizabeth, 6056 or c/o Govan Mbeki and De Villiers Street, Room 1.73, North End, Port Elizabeth, 6056 (AWitbooi@justice.gov.za)
• Free State: Ms S Britz: Private Bag X20578, Bloemfontein,9300 or 53 Charlotte Maxeke Street, Colonial Building,Bloemfontein, 9300 (sbritz@justice.gov.za)
• Gauteng: Ms P Nyamandi: Private Bag X6, Johannesburg, 2000 or 94 Pritchard Street, Johannesburg, 2001 (PNyamandi@justice.gov.za)
• KwaZulu Natal: Ms A Khan: Private Bag X54372, Durban, 4000 or 2 Devonshire Place, c/o Devonshire and Anton Lembede Streets, Durban, 4000 (AsKhan@justice.gov.za)
• Limpopo: Mr M Kgosiemang: Private Bag X9526, Polokwane, 0700 or 92 Bok Street, Polokwane, 0700 (MKgosiemang@justice.gov.za)
• Mpumalanga: Ms N Maanda: Private Bag X11249, Nelspruit, 1200 or 24 Brown Street, Nelspruit, 1200 (NMaanda@justice.gov.za)
• Northern Cape: Mr R Motlekar: Private Bag X6106, Kimberley, 8300 or 8th Floor, New Public Buildings, c/o Stead and Knight Streets, Kimberley, 8300 (RMotlekar@justice.gov.za)
• North West: Ms M Setlhako: Private Bag X2033, Mmabatho, 2735 or 22 Molopo Road, Ayob Building, Mafikeng, 2745 (MSetlhako@justice.gov.za)
• Western Cape: Adv A Singh: Private Bag X9171, Cape Town, 8000 or Mezzanine Floor, Plein Park Building, Plein Street, Cape Town, 8001
(AshikaSingh@justice.gov.za)
Applications that are not completed correctly and in line with the requirements listed above will not be considered. The Minister of Justice & Constitutional Development reserves the right not to fill a sheriff’s office that has herein been advertised as a vacant sheriff’s office. Further, should you not receive an invitation within three (3) months to attend an interview herein then it can be deemed that your application was not successful.
Applicants are advised that maps or point to point descriptions of the sheriff service areas are available on the DOJCD website (www.doj.gov.za). Due to the continued demarcation of the magisterial district boundaries, sheriff service areas may change.
Please note that applicants are to ensure that their application is submitted to the relevant Secretariats before the close of business on the closing date. No late applications will be accepted. In addition applicants are hereby requested to submit their application together with all the relevant documents in duplicate to the following email address: Sheriffsvacancies@justice.gov.za
Please further note that all sheriff service areas as advertised are subject to the Rationalization of courts