Stakeholders in the ||Kharas Region have welcomed the Commission for Alternative Dispute Resolution Draft Bill, describing it as long overdue.

They shared their sentiments on the sidelines of a stakeholder consultative meeting held at Keetmanshoop.

The draft Bill makes provision for the establishment of an independent and autonomous commission for labour dispute resolution.

It further aims to enhance efficiency, credibility and public trust and establish a more accessible and fair system for resolving disputes outside of the traditional courts.

Additionally, it seeks to improve the turnaround times in finalising labour disputes in an effort to alleviate Labour Court case backlogs.

The Governor of ||Kharas, Dawid Gertze, said this during the opening.

“This is not just a new institution; it is a new philosophy. It is an official recognition that, while our courts are the backbone of our democracy, they cannot be the only path to justice. For many of our people, that path has been blocked by three insurmountable walls: prohibitive costs, procedural rigidity, and the agonising delays.”

Consultations of the draft bill will be conducted across the country until 14 March.