Nashira Davids | 18 November, 2014
Every year more than 200000 new child maintenance applications are dealt with by the Department of Justice and Correctional Services.
This is "indicative of the drastic growing trend of children not being provided for", said Hishaam Mohamed, head of the department in Western Cape.
Mohamed launched Operation Isondlo - an annual national campaign to clamp down on maintenance defaulters - yesterday in the Western Cape. He also named the province's top 20 deadbeat dads. Together they owe more than R1.2-million in maintenance.
In pole position is Raymond Fourie, who allegedly owes his children R132000. Jeffrey Riet is allegedly in arrears by R117000 and Faizel Petersen by R108000.
There are 1639 untraced defaulters, who owe more than R5.5-million in Western Cape.
Mohamed said that in the past three years the department had attached "large sums" from the pension funds of defaulters.
Shani Swart, a Worcester mother of a seven-year-old, benefited from this recourse.
When her former partner resigned from his job this year he was in arrears with his main-tenance payments. The amount was deducted from his pension fund and a successful application was sought for future maintenance of R68400.
"This is not my money, it's my daughter's," said Swart.
In its annual report released last month the Department of Justice and Correctional Services indicated that more beneficiaries were being paid maintenance by electronic fund transfer - from 15893 in March 2011 to 214443 in March.
Mohamed said amendments to the Maintenance Act were due to be presented to parliament this week.
They include compelling communications service providers to supply defaulters' contact details.
