New Africa Centre for Dispute Settlement broadens South Africa’s dispute resolution capabilities.
The Africa Centre for Dispute Settlement was launched by the University of Stellenbosch Business School on 20 February. The three focus areas of the centre are conflict management, negotiation and mediation results. This initiative is being cosponsored by Equillore Ltd, a company that promotes cost-effective dispute settlement through mediation. According to Professor Barney Jordaan who will be running the centre, this partnership enables a combination of academic excellence and real world practical experience. Jordan stresses that one of the main functions of the centre is to become a change agent in the way people think and act in relation to dispute settlement. Dumisa Ntebeza’s Business Day Report includes statistics from a pilot project conducted by Equillore Ltd. The study dealt with Road Accident Fund cases to determine the success rate of mediation services. Results show that 70% of the cases were settled at the first meeting.
The centre will also be working with the ADR Group which is the UK’s largest private mediation company. The ADR group in London reports that about 65% of disputes settle at the first mediation meeting and a further 20% within a month after mediation has started. These statistics demonstrate the positive impact which the Africa Centre for Dispute Settlement is capable of having on dispute settlement and resolution in South Africa.
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