House Chair, may we also congratulate the Deputy Minister on his appointment and we greet the Minister, Commissioner and the members of the department guests that here today.
The ACDP appreciates like other speakers have said that the department is facing severe budgetary constraints. This has resulted in reduced funded posts and this will as the department indicated have severe implications for both the business and governance of the department. This may also affect frontline service delivery and worsen safety and conditions of incarceration. We saw that in the
last Parliament when we visited some of the prisons, we visited St Albans and others and we could see the challenges that may of the wardens are faced with and this needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
We also share concerns expressed about oversight and the fact that this committee now looks over and as in the previous Parliament. Correctional services and justice and we look forward to sub committees that will be able to exercise efficient and effective oversight over correctional services and visit more prisons.
As the ACDP we have also long held the view that increased usage should be made offender labour, skilled labour teaching offenders to be skilled, to deal with minor maintenance issues and other projects and we are pleased to hear about a school that had also been built. This can result in self sufficiency in prisons. We are pleased about the farms and workshops that take place. When we visited one of the workshops that was being under utilised, we need to fully utilise our workshops to generate revenue.
Minister we should also look if we've budgetary constraints, surely the revenue that is obtained should be channelled to the department and not the central fiscus. This is something that needs to be
looked into as well. We, like other speakers also commend the Commissioner on the speedy action that was taken following the startling allegations of corruption disclosed at the Zondo Commission regarding the Bosasa contracts and in sourcing and dealing with that. Imagine if catering had been stopped in the prisons you would have had riots.
The question however is why action was only taken now when the Special Investigating Unit, SIU, and the report was table almost ten years ago. And it seems that action was only taken by the hawks when this evidence was presented ten years later at the Zondo Commisison
We are also concerned that the department has for several years been unable to setup additional bed spaces. This has been a result on delays in capital projects being completed. Even in the last Parliament, we suggested that the Minister should meet with Minister of Public Works and resolve these issues but there is a continuation of challenges from the Department of Public Works that is impacting on the correctional services and this in turn results on the overcrowding.
And, listening to all the members speaking today, it sounded like my speech of correctional services 20 years ago. Whilst the situation
has improved, you remember we have always spoken about overcrowding. This department is a recipient of that criminal justice system and so we need to look at this situation of overcrowding. We need to look at section 63a, section 62f of the Criminal Procedure Act as well as section 49g of the Correctional Services Act which seeks to limit the period of time that an accused is remanded in detention.
Of course, we from the ACDP side have since I was elected in 1999 stood for restorative justice and we are pleased at the progress that is being made with those programmes. It is important that our rehabilitation budgets cannot be underfunded and restorative justice so that offenders can take up a responsible role in our communities and that is fully supported.
Whilst the department faces many challenges, we from the ACDP thank all managers and staff who run extremely difficult and dangerous conditions diligently do their work and ensuring that offenders are kept in safe, secure and humane custody and undergo rehabilitation programmes. I thank you.