Justice Department's new crackdown: pay child maintenance or face credit rating damage

THE Department of Justice and Constitutional Development is forging ahead with its planned move to crack down on those who fail to pay child maintenance by listing them with credit bureaus.

- MAYIBONGWE MAGHINA

The initiative, which is in line with the requirements of the Maintenance Amendment Act, will enable court officials to forward details of maintenance defaulters to credit bureaus to use against their credit rating.

The Act makes a provision for the forwarding of personal details of the maintenance defaulters who fail to pay child maintenance and have enforcement order judgments against them to the credit bureaus and credit providers.

In November 2024, the department entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Social Justice Foundation and Consumer Profile Bureau.

Responding to parliamentary questions, Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said the Maintenance Online Listing of Defaulters (MOLD) Project was the first project of the partnership which focused on the implementation of the Maintenance Act.

Kubayi said the MOLD project will encourage maintenance defaulters to pay arrear maintenance as it will impact their credit ratings.