Offerings of food, clothes, and sound advice were on the menu for International Sheriffs' Day at the Grahamstown sheriffs' offices and magistrate's court last Thursday.
Grahamstown sheriff of 39 years, Annerie Wolmarans, and her team set out to help needy foster families and single mothers at the magistrate's court on Thursday morning.
Offerings of food, clothes, and sound advice were on the menu for International Sheriffs' Day at the Grahamstown sheriffs' offices and magistrate's court last Thursday.
Grahamstown sheriff of 39 years, Annerie Wolmarans, and her team set out to help needy foster families and single mothers at the magistrate's court on Thursday morning.
Six couples taking care of nine foster children received food parcels, toys and clothing collected by the local sheriff's department, while waiting to appear in the children's court on Thursday. This was all part of an effort made by sheriffs in more than 70 countries across the globe to reach out to the public, especially to the children whom it is their duty to serve and protect.
The sheriff and her deputies welcomed members of the public to come to them if they needed help with their foster children. "Don't stay away and don't leave them alone – especially if they are girls," said Wolmarans. She emphasised how vulnerable young girls were to being raped and said that even uncles and male family friends could not necessarily be trusted alone with them.
More food parcels and words of advice were relayed to the single mothers waiting to make child maintenance claims at the court.
Kobie de Bruin, supervisor of the family law section of the magistrate's court, encouraged the women to give them detailed descriptions of where evasive fathers worked and lived so that the maintenance investigator could track them down. "Give as much information as you can to us about your ex, like exactly where he works. If you meet a man who doesn't work, then stay away!" said Wolmarans.
De Bruin reminded the group of women that their ex partners also deserved a decent standard of living, even men who tried to get away with not paying child support. "You loved him once – enough to make this baby. You need to have some type of stability as parents, because you are the mother and father of that child," said de Bruin. "The person paying must also have a standard of living – we need to be fair."
After visiting the courts, all the people the sheriffs had visited received tickets to collect lunch from the sheriff's offices, where 200 vetkoek filled with mince awaited them. The leftovers were given to car guards in town.
The role of the sheriff Sheriffs are no longer pistol-wielding keepers-of-the-peace, like in old western movies. Today, a sheriff is an impartial court official appointed by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, who serves court documents such as summonses, notices, warrants and court orders to members of the public on behalf of the court.
Thandisizwe Dudu, one of Grahamstown's deputy sheriffs, says sheriffs serve the community under instruction from the court, by handing over lawyers' documents. For example, if a man is not paying child maintenance, a sheriff will go to the person and serve him the maintenance documents on behalf of the court.
