GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - The Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (Afsa) launched a new branch that will serve the Southern Cape region, at a cocktail function held on 30 October at the Protea Hotel in George.
It was attended by representatives of the local municipalities, judiciary, law firms, the Southern Cape Society of Advocates and other prominent members of the local legal fraternity.
Afsa is a non-profit company, established in 1996, that provides arbitration and mediation services both nationally and internationally.
The manager of the new branch, advocate Jacques Malan, said the decision was made after an overwhelmingly positive reaction from interested parties and possible role players in Plettenberg Bay, Knysna, George, Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn, who felt there is a strong need for cost-effective arbitration and mediation services locally.
The new branch will serve districts such as Ladismith, Calitzdorp, Oudtshoorn, Mossel Bay, George, Knysna, Uniondale, Willowmore and Joubertina, Plettenberg Bay, Riversdale and Stilbaai.
The Garden Route branch will be managed by Malan together with a committee consisting of representatives of local law firms, the Southern Cape Society of Advocates and organised business.
The services will be available to both commercial litigants involved in disputes concerning relatively large amounts, and disputes about matters of relatively smaller value, including family law matters. In terms of the Arbitration Act, 42 of 1965, only matrimonial causes or matters incidental thereto, and matters relating to status are excluded from arbitration.
According to Malan the establishment of the Garden Route branch of Afsa is an important milestone toward realising the constitutional right of access to justice for local disputants.
At the launch of Afsa Garden Route are, from left: Lucrecia Rothman, Tabanisha Stuurman, Xhanti Zeka, Celeste van Wyk, Adv Jacques Malan (branch manager), Adv Michael Kuper SC (Afsa chairman), Eileen Ketterer, Brittney Brown, Adv Urice Deetlefs, and Porthri Blauw. Photo: Eugene Gunning
Among the people who attended the launch of a new branch of the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (Afsa) were, from left: advocate Dawie Scholtz, George Speaker Gerrit Pretorius and advocate Johan van Schalkwyk of the George Municipality. Photo: Eugene Gunning
Some of the attendees from the legal fraternity at the launch of the Afsa Garden Route branch, from left: Adv Gerhard van Rhyn, Adv Jacques Malan (branch manager); Nanindi Slabbert, Adv Francois van der Merwe, Lucrecia Rothman, Celeste van Wyk, Porthri Blauw, Xhanti Zeka, Tabanisha Stuurman, Adv Lourens Joubert, Adv Michael Kuper SC (Afsa chairman), Prof Willie van der Westhuizen, Lizelle Harker, Adv Urice Deetlefs, Brittney Brown and Eileen Ketterer. Photo: Eugene Gunning
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