A crisis is quietly unfolding in households across South Africa, where thousands of women reliant on child maintenance payments through the Justice Department’s garnishee order system have been left without financial support for weeks. For many single mothers already navigating the crushing weight of poverty and rising living costs, the sudden halt in payments has pushed already fragile families to the brink.
According to multiple reports from affected recipients, some mothers have not received a cent since last month, with desperation mounting as school fees, rent, and grocery bills remain unpaid. When they reached out to local courts and maintenance offices for answers, they were met with the same frustrating response: a technical glitch in the court’s payment processing system has disrupted the flow of garnishee deductions. But for mothers like Thandi Mokoena, a domestic worker from Tembisa, explanations offer little comfort. “I don’t have money to feed my children. They say it’s a system problem, but my children’s hunger is not a system problem,” she told local media.
The Department of Justice has acknowledged the breakdown and indicated that an official statement will be issued shortly to address the widespread non-payment. However, no timeline has been given for when the system will be restored or how backdated payments will be handled. Women’s rights advocacy groups have condemned the delay, accusing the department of gross negligence and failing in its constitutional obligation to uphold the rights of children. They have called for urgent intervention, including manual payment processing, to avert a humanitarian crisis.
For now, thousands of mothers are left in agonizing limbo, their pleas hanging in the air as the state machine slowly grinds toward a response. The glitch may be technical, but for the women and children affected, the suffering is deeply human—and entirely avoidable.
About The Author
