Agb Voorsitter, Minister Lamola, Adjunkminister Jeffery, ampsdraers van die departement en almal teenwoordig, elke gemeenskap en elke dorp het sy stout kinders. Mense soos diegene in tronke, elkeen van hulle, het deur omstandighede in hulle kinderjare, deur gebeure in hul grootwordjare en deur eksterne faktore wat hulle gedrag op een of ander wyse beinvloed het, daar beland.
Vir 'n gemeenskap om te oorleef moet daar regte rels wees. Mense het grense nodig en mense reageer verskillend op hierdie riglyne en beperkings.
Die Departement van Korrektiewe Dienste moet met die gevolge van mense wat hulself nie by daardie rels wat deur die samelewing ingestel word, kan hou nie omgaan. Die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing raak toenemend misdadig en geweldadig, waardeur hierdie mense dan in aanhouding beland en word die gevestigde misdaadkultuur voortgesit.
English:
Hon Minister Lamola, the FF Plus will support your drive to equip inmates with agricultural skills training in the cultivation of vegetables, fruits, milk and meat production and other technical skills. This is like it used to be years ago and how it should be.
Skills, self sufficiency and independence are one of the greatest skills that one can give. This initiative will indeed contribute towards the transformation of South African correctional centres from being having drug and gang syndicates into proper rehabilitation centres and skills development centres. It will also contribute towards more skilled work force in the South African economy.
The FF Plus is concerned that the allocation of R1,9 billion to the rehabilitation programme, only 8% of the total amount allocated is inadequate.
The FF Plus also welcome the swift cancellation of the African Global Operations, AGO, Bosasa contracts and the insourcing of nutrition services in 26 centres in which this company operated following the allegations of corruption in the Zondo Commission.
However, we are concerned about the failure of the executives to fulfil its oversight role in this regard, as well as the irregular expenditure for R1,8 billion in 2017-18.
The new Minister should tighten his oversight on this governance and internal control environment of the department to ensure that audit action plans and the auditor-general remedial measures are implemented.
The department has continuously failed to achieve many of its targets that are directed in improving security conditions by reducing the number of escapes, violence and unnatural death.
I mentioned earlier that the Department of Correctional Services has to deal with the result of an increasing crime ridden society.
Economic growth, job creation, effective education, law enforcement, a proper criminal justice system and above all, moral regeneration will contribute towards less crime and less inmates.
The increase in inmate population and overcrowding of 30% as of March 2019 is a real concern. The allocated amount to the Department of Correctional Services for 2019-20 of R25 billion is inadequate and will pose huge challenges to the department to carry out its mandate.
Hon Minister, through you Chair ...
Afrikaans:
Ek het vandag na al die lede in die Huis geluister en ek kan hoor dat almal presies dieselfde gedagte het en voel. Die mense wat in die tronke van Suid- Afrika sit is almal mense en hulle verdien rehabilitasie, buiten straf en behoort menswaardig behandel te word.
Ek dink ons kan almal s dat ons wens u alle sterkte toe met die termyn wat vir u voorl.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND CORRECTIONAL SERVICES (Inkosi S P
Holomisa): Hon House Chairperson, Mqwathi, Minister of Justice and
Correctional Services, Ronald Ozzy Lamola, Deputy Minister John Jeffrey and any other Ministers and Deputy Ministers who may be here, chairperson and members of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services, hon members, the National Commissioner for Correctional Services, Mr Arthur Fraser and senior management of the Department of Correctional Services, distinguished guests, especially my wife Nosimanye and my uncles and clan members coming all the way from Ngqungqu, Mqanduli ...
IsiXhosa:
Enkosi maGebe ngokuza kusisitha umhlana, ukuze nibone ukuba sisebenza njani na kweli Kapa nakugqiba ukusivotela.
English:
... ladies and gentlemen, good morning.
IsiXhosa:
Ndandilambile anandipha kutya. Ndandize anandambesa. Ndandisentolongweni anandivelela.
English:
I stand before you today at a historic time in our beloved country, this July, Mandela month, is particularly symbolic as it coincides
with South Africa's 25 years of democracy. Mandela Day, tomorrow 18 July, coincidentally the birthday of the Hegebe clan Crown Prince Jongumsobomvu, calls on us all, every day to make the world a better place. Through our daily actions we must be inspired by Madiba's belief in a society characterised by justice, dignity and human rights.
The advent of a democratic South Africa introduced a paradigm shift, a new beginning, where prisons become correctional centres of rehabilitation. Offenders are given a second chance, a new hope, and encouragement to adopt the lifestyle of ideal members of society.
Rehabilitation requires a smart, dynamic, responsive and futuristic criminal justice system - correctional services being an integral part of the whole. As everybody is inspired by Madiba, he did say this and I quote, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." It is in that vein that we as the department promote comprehensive education programmes which do not only minimise the negative impact of incarceration, but serve to improve prospects of reintegration, self-esteem and high morale.
As part of reading with meaning, this year marks the 10th anniversary of Funda Mzantsi, a reading festival aimed at encouraging offenders to read and write.
Hon members, to achieve a society characterised by justice, one of the focus areas of the department is to stamp out corruption within its ranks. During the last financial year, the department conducted 32 disciplinary actions against officials involved in corrupt activities. This resulted in the dismissal of 17 officials, the suspension without salary as an alternative to dismissal, of five officials, final written warnings to five officials and written warnings to four officials. Five officials resigned before their hearings could be finalised, whilst one was found not guilty.
In line with the Public Service Regulations, the department is reviewing the structure and aligning strategic priorities with core competencies. Compliance with applicable legislation through available human resources, due to the reduced funded establishment numbers, in line with the Estimates of National Expenditure ceiling for each financial year, will be negatively impacted, and so will the business and governance of the department as has be commented by other members.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Department of Correctional Services operates within a complex environment and delivers upon a broad mandate that is progressive and holistic in terms of the incarceration, rehabilitation and social reintegration of remand detainees and sentenced offenders. A Service Delivery Model for the Department of Correctional Services has been developed to respond to the mandate of the department, and is aligned to the Department of Public Service and Administration Operations Management Framework.
The total Compensation of Employees baseline budget cuts from the 2015-16 financial year to the 2020-21 financial year amounts to R3,1 billion. Currently the funded post establishment in the department sits at 39 191 posts. The 866 posts had to be abolished to accommodate funding for Case Management Committees and the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services.
The budget cuts under goods and services have also put immense pressure on the operational budgets for both correctional centres and administration. One of the major areas negatively impacted upon is fleet services, used for the transportation of sentenced offenders to courts and hospitals; the monitoring of parolees and probationers, as well as the transportation of officials to perform their daily functions.
Correction is a calling which requires a special cadre of official, one who is grounded on the values of moral rectitude and integrity. It is indeed a fact that correctional officials are courageous professionals who work in a challenging environment, with risk to life and limb, at a premium, at times.
The murder for instance of Ms Nomsa Joyce Stuurman, by a male inmate, at Goedemoed Correctional Centre in March this year, exposed the incredible dangers that confront our officials, particularly female officials. The sacrifices that our officials endure, the service offering, are all driven by a passion and the obligation to ensure the safety for our communities and the nation at large. It is therefore our sacred duty to ensure that the name and memory of Nomsa Joyce Stuurman are remembered and honoured, for posterity, as those of a fallen soldier.
We are encouraged by the progress made thus far, by the SA Police Service, on the investigation of the case of Ms Stuurman. It remains our resolve and determination to see to it that justice is served in this unfortunate matter.
The Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services recognises that its human resources are its most valuable asset. Whilst we confront
realities of a constrained economy and the budget restrictions it imposes, we remain committed to creating employment and development opportunities, especially for young persons.
We are aware that with every employment opportunity created, an entire family benefits and the negative impact of the cycle of poverty is reduced.
We have recalibrated our processes of filling vacant posts to be far more efficient, with quicker turnaround times. We take courage from the collaborative relationship we enjoy with organised labour.
The department is required to change and adopt its security training and capabilities in order to respond to the evolving security risks and threats. Over the past four years, the Department of Correctional Services has rolled out basic and tactical training to 3 556 Emergency Support Team officials, as well as 6 520 officials on the security equipment in the same period.
The total payments for capital assets baseline budget cuts from the 2015-15 financial year to the 2020-21 financial year, amount to R847 million. It is imperative that we become innovative and
ingenious to ensure that our infrastructure delivery programme remains on track in spite of the budgetary limitations.
Therefore, an urgent need exists to constantly assess, the status of our facilities, to ensure accessibility, performance and functionality in terms of our safety standards.
With the shift and emphasis on rehabilitation in postapartheid South Africa, it should be noted that all centres which were constructed during the apartheid era do not fully cater for rehabilitation programmes; they do not have facilities for the rendering of developmental and psychosocial group programmes.
The department suffers from a chronic shortage of bed spaces that leads to overcrowding in our correctional centres. Whilst there are multipronged strategies to deal with this matter, it should always be given careful consideration when custodial and noncustodial sentences are imposed.
We are continuing with the migration from incarceration towards a fully fledged rehabilitation service as an integral part of an integrated criminal justice system.
Inmates are skilled through working in the different departmental workshops, which include wood, steel, and textile workshops, bakeries, a shoe factory, and agricultural facilities. Our workshops are in a position to confidently manufacture products that can be procured by other government departments and institutions
The department also manages 21 farms and 115 gardens that are being used for self-sufficiency and to provide work opportunities for offenders.
South Africa is at a stage where it requires a correctional system which works together with communities to reduce reoffending. An inmate has to commit to change and embrace opportunities for skills development, which will result in meaningful reintegration into society. We need to understand that offenders go into a correctional facility as punishment, not for punishment. Hence, today we have centres of new beginnings where the spirit of humanity, hope and aspiration prevails. We opted for such a paradigm shift so that those in our centres must know that there is a road to a better life.
The Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services, JICS, is an important office that ensures accountability through external
scrutiny. In conjunction with JICS, the department is continuing to urgently address issues that may hamper its effectiveness. The Department of Correctional Services has put in place short, medium and long-term plans, including increasing the JICS infrastructure footprint.
The Department of Correctional Services reaffirms its commitment to modernise its correctional systems by replacing old legacy systems with reliable, integrated and secure information and communication technology, ICT, infrastructure and business application systems. Central to this modernisation is the development and implementation of the Integrated Inmate Management System, which, as part of the Integrated Justice System, provides a single view of inmate and offender information. The upgrade of the ICT network infrastructure will take place over the next three years.
The establishment of a security committee helps to manage security risks and the alignment of security procedures across all 243 centres in the country. However, security breaches still occur and we must as part of redress in this administration, rethink how we classify or categorise inmates, as either low or high risk offenders.
During 2018-19, the department achieved outstanding performance outcomes in respect of the 70 532 probationers and parolees caseload of community corrections. From the daily average caseload of 55 030 parolees, 99% complied with their conditions and from a daily average of caseload of 15 502 probationers, 99% complied with their conditions.
Victim participation through the different restorative justice interventions has gained momentum and this approach continues to bring offenders and their victims, including communities, together to talk about the impact of the crimes they committed.
Correction is, indeed, a societal responsibility.
The department has established a number of strategic and sustainable partnerships with other government departments. Business Against Crime organisations, civil society organisations and nonprofit organisations. We have also formalised partnerships with state agencies, nonprofit organisations, as well as institutions of higher learning. There are currently 218 fully fledged community corrections offices nationally, serving the respective communities and offenders under the system of community corrections. These
offices enable probationers and parolees to access community corrections services within communities where they reside.
In an effort to increase access especially in remote areas, the department has established service points throughout the country by formalising partnerships with nonprofit organisations.
In this regard in order to ensure ease of access, ownership and collaboration, it is incumbent on us to reach out and form partnerships with traditional leaders across the length and breadth of this country, by taking advantage of the existing traditional councils infrastructure.
As the Minister has already indicated, there are beautiful products of the work of inmates, parolees and probationers on display in our exhibition area. Do, please, go and take a look on them; you will be pleasantly surprised.
In the spirit of Madiba and restorative justice, tomorrow I shall be handing over to the elderly residents of Salberau Old Age Home at Elsies River beanies, scarfs and blankets made by Siyakha Knitting Project.
On that note let me take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Minister Lamola for collegial and comradely leadership and support. Let me also appreciate the National Commissioner, his management and staff of the department for the reception and their orientation I have received. The support we get from the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services is not taken for granted.
IsiXhosa:
Umntu akalahlwa.
English:
Thank you. [Applause.]