The Mediation & Dispute Settlement Centre
Alternative dispute resolution specialists
The Mediation & Dispute
Settlement Centre
The Mediation & Dispute Settlement Centre offers a variety of alternative dispute resolution services to suit your unique and specific circumstances. Below are the alternative dispute resolution services offered:
ADRWhat is alternative dispute resolution?
Alternative Dispute Resolution ("ADR") refers to any means of settling disputes outside of the courtroom. ADR typically includes early neutral evaluation, negotiation, conciliation, mediation, and arbitration.DisputeWhat is Mediation?
Mediation is generally defined as the process by which someone tries to end a disagreement by helping the two sides to talk about and agree on a solution.
A mediator is a neutral third party, generally a person who is not directly involved in the dispute or the substantive issues in question. This is a critical factor in conflict...
The disputants must be willing to allow a third party to enter the dispute and assist them in reaching a solution. Acceptability does not necessarily mean that disputants eagerly welcome...
Intervention implies entering into an ongoing system of relationships, to come between or among persons, groups, or objects to help them. It is important to realise that the...
For mediation to occur, the participants must begin talking or negotiating. In workplace conflict, labour and management must be willing to hold bargaining sessions, in business, business...
Voluntary - You can leave at any time for any reason, or no reason. Collaborative - As no participant in mediation can impose anything on anyone, everyone is motivated to work...
A mediator no authoritative decision-making power; he or she cannot unilaterally mandate or force parties to resolve their differences and enforce the decision. This...
Our definition states that a mediator assists disputing parties. Assistance can refer to very general or highly specific activities. Here follows some of the more general roles...
The last component of the definition describes mediation as a voluntary process to reach a mutually acceptable settlement of issues in dispute. Voluntary generally refers to both...
Accreditations & Memberships
Our accreditation process ensures that our certification practices are acceptable
Gerrie is in private practice as a family mediator previously having served as the Chairman on the Executive Committee of Family Mediators’ Association of the Cape (FAMAC)
Gerrie van der Watt
M.Phil. Labour Law (UCT), Dispute Settlement and Mediation (USB)
He is a Commercial Mediator accredited with the Africa Centre for Dispute Settlement (CD/ACDS) with UK international accreditation (CEDR).
Gerrie van der Watt
M.Phil. Labour Law (UCT), Dispute Settlement and Mediation (USB)
In addition, he also serves as a panellist on the Arbitration Forum of Southern Africa (AFSA) and he is a member of the Arbitration Forum of South Africa
Gerrie van der Watt
M.Phil. Labour Law (UCT), Dispute Settlement and Mediation (USB)
BlogNews, Info & Videos
Browse the latest articles and info from our blog. Includes News, Information and Videos.
Recently I mediated a conflict involving an organization and two of its members. At stake was the continuation or severance of their long-standing...
Surveys of mediation participants and their counsel routinely report satisfaction with the process, reflecting appreciation of the ability of...
When trained as a mediator, the first thing I learned was that mediation is a client-driven process. The ideal is for the mediation clients...
Representing a client in a Mediation / Negotiation setting requires a huge change in approach and attitude for a hardcore litigation / corporate...