REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA COMBINED SECOND PERIODIC REPORT UNDER THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLE`S RIGHTS and INITIAL REPORT UNDER THE PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA outstanding maintenance to beneficiaries. A zero tolerance approach was adopted when dealing with maintenance defaulters. This includes the attachment of pensions for maintenance. 385. The Department has appointed complaints managers and maintenance investigators in all regions to manage maintenance services complaints. The Department’s maintenance programme was designed to minimise the time spent on queues, strengthen the investigation process used in tracing maintenance defaulters, and improve the payment system to ensure that rightful beneficiaries are paid on time. 386. This strategy has had great success in bringing thousands of maintenance defaulters to book. Many defaulters have been arrested and brought to court, resulting in hundreds of maintenance beneficiaries receiving regular pay-outs. The strategy has reduced the loopholes in the system and introduced tighter mechanisms to enforce payments. 387. The Department is determined to reduce the turnaround time of maintenance payments by ensuring that garnishee payments are made directly to maintenance beneficiaries. These direct payments assist maintenance beneficiaries as the money is received directly from the garnishee, instead of waiting for funds to clear in court’s bank account. An electronic fund transfer system (EFT) was created so that beneficiaries have quick and safe access to funds. Harassment 388. 214 In a bid to strengthen the protection of victims of harassment, the Protection from Harassment Act, 2011214 was passed in Parliament. The Act affords the victims of harassment an effective remedy against harassment. A victim of harassment can approach the magistrates' courts in terms of the Act to obtain a protection order against any person who is harassing them. A person who breaches a protection order may be criminally charged and, if found guilty, held liable to a fine or imprisonment. Harassment in this regard means directly or indirectly engaging in conduct that causes harm or inspires the reasonable belief that harm may be caused to the complainant or a related person by unreasonably—(a) following, watching, pursuing or accosting of the complainant or a related person, or loitering outside of or near the building or place where the complainant or a related person resides, works, carries on business, studies or happens to be; (b) engaging in verbal, electronic or any other communication aimed at the complainant or a related person, by any means, whether or not conversation ensues; or (c) sending, delivering or causing the delivery of letters, telegrams, packages, facsimiles, electronic mail or other objects to the complainant or a related person or leaving it where it will be found by or given to, or brought to the attention of, the complainant or a related person. Act No. 17 of 2011 108