Voorsitter, agb Minister, agb Adjunkminister, agb kollegas, laat my net toe om ook namens die DA ons meegevoel te betuig teenoor die persone wat so voortydig gesterf het.
Agb Minister, ek hoop daardie trok waarvan u gepraat het, het petrol in. U weet, aan die begin van die jaar het u nog ges Korrektiewe Dienste is een van die swakste departemente in die land. Dit is op sigself 'n goeie begin om ten minste 'n Minister te h wat die waarheid praat. Wat ook egter waar is, is dat daar uitstekende amptenare in die departement werksaam is wat alles in hul vermo doen om hierdie departement te verbeter en ons dank u vir u diens.
Verreweg die grootste probleem met Korrektiewe Dienste is die gebrek aan spasie en fasiliteite om gevangenes te huisves. Die negatiewe gevolg hiervan is dat dit die werksaamhede van die hele departement verlam. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr J W LE ROUX: Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, hon colleagues allow me also, on behalf of the DA, to extend my sympathy to those who have passed away before their time.
Hon Minister, I hope that the truck you have spoken about has petrol. You still mentioned at the beginning of the year that Correctional Services is one of the weakest departments in the country. That in itself is a good start - to have a Minister who is at least speaking the truth. However, it is also true that there are exceptional officials in the department who are doing everything in their power to improve this department, and we thank them for that.
By far the biggest problem with Correctional Services is the lack of space and facilities to house prisoners. The negative consequence of this is that operations of the whole department are being paralysed.]
The problem of overcrowding has been with the department for ages, yet it has been incapable of solving this problem. If space is our main problem, the obvious solution is to build more prisons or correctional centres, as they are now called. Over many years monies had been budgeted for new facilities but the department was incapable of building enough new correctional centres.
We are pleased that at last there is some urgency with the construction of new facilities, but even when the buildings are completed we will still be faced with serious overcrowding. The budget of R4,4 billion or 10% of the total budget will certainly help the cause.
As far as the priorities of the department are concerned we must first of all protect the public from people who commit crime. Rehabilitation, skills development and reintegration are laudable and important aspects of our vision, but can and should not take centre stage. In fact, overcrowding makes it impossible to have an effective rehabilitation programme and it undermines the very vision of the department.
Instead of urgently constructing new facilities to solve the problem of overcrowding, the department started to release as many inmates as possible. This placed an enormous burden on parole boards and compromised the safety of law-abiding citizens.
Volgens mediaberigte het oudlanddros Lenie Smit die volgende ges - en Minister, u het haar self aangestel :
Gevangenes word soos deur 'n worsmasjien op 'n misdaadvoos Suid- Afrikaanse gemeenskap losgelaat volgens maandelikse paroolkwotas om die las op oorvol tronke te verlig.
Landdros Lenie Smit, gewese voorsitter van 'n paroolraad, beweer sy was onder druk om 40% van alle paroolaansoeke maandeliks op parool vry te laat, ongeag die meriete van die aansoek. As dit waar is wat die oudlanddros s, en ek het geen rede om haar stelling te betwyfel nie, is dit 'n onhoudbare situasie.
Minister, u het gister tydens die optog in Pretoria self gesien hoe siek en sat die mense is vir misdaad. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[According to media reports, former magistrate Lenie Smit had the following to say - and Minister, she was appointed by you:
Gevangenes word soos deur 'n worsmasjien op 'n misdaadvoos Suid- Afrikaanse gemeenskap losgelaat volgens maandelikse paroolkwotas om die las op oorvol tronke te verlig.
Magistrate Lenie Smit, former chairperson of a parole board, allegedly stated that she had been under pressure to release on parole 40% of all parole applications per month, irrespective of the merits of the application. If what the former magistrate is saying is true, and I have no reason to doubt her statement, it has become an unbearable situation.
Minister, during the march in Pretoria yesterday you saw how sick and tired the people are of crime.]
Chairperson, the second major problem in the department is that we are always in the news for the wrong reasons. Our previous commissioner Linda Mti was accused of serious fraud and our current commissioner is accused of misconduct at a very important function where Minister Lekota, Minister Mapisa-Nqakula and Minister Balfour were present.
Commissioner Petersen has started off very well and we hope that this indiscretion will not damage his very promising career. Mr Petersen, we really need your services and we wish you the best of luck for the future.
Tydens besoeke aan gevangenisse is dit altyd tragies om te sien hoe duisende jongmense in oorvol selle sit met absoluut niks om te doen nie. Hierdie ledigheid is sekerlik die teelaarde van onheil. Bendebedrywigheid en dwelmgebruik het hierin sy oorsprong. Dit is noodsaaklik dat ons maniere vind om gevangenes sinvol besig te hou.
In sommige van ons instellings word landbou op 'n effektiewe wyse bedryf en tonne groente en vleis word geproduseer. In die Kirkwood-gevangenis in die Oos-Kaap het hierdie konsep homself oor en oor bewys. Wat egter in ons diens gebeur, is dat die landbouproduksie die afgelope 10 jaar met 50% gedaal het. Wat egter nog erger is, is dat die aantal gevangenes wat by landbou betrokke is, gedaal het van 6 600 na 2 200 mense.
Wat die personeel betref, is dit duidelik dat die moraal van gewone lede besonder swak is. Hierdie amptenare werk in 'n omgewing wat enige normale mens depressief sal maak. Voeg hierby uiters swak salarisse en die gevaar waaraan lede daagliks blootgestel is.
Minister, u sal moet toesien dat werkers van Korrektiewe Dienste beter werksomstandighede geniet. U aankondiging vroer in u toespraak was baie welkom en ons dank u daarvoor.
Wat misdaad in ons gevangenisse betref, lyk dit asof ons boedel oorgee. Dwelms en wapens word met die grootste gemak in ons sentrums ingebring, in baie gevalle met die hulp van bewaarders. Voeg hierby die bedrog met tenders wat gereeld plaasvind, dan lyk dit werklik na 'n noodtoestand. Minister, dit is u plig om die bekwame mense in u diens te ondersteun en ons van verdere verleentheid te spaar.
Ter afsluiting wil ek graag vir regter Deon van Zyl welkom heet en vertrou hy sal waardevolle diens lewer as inspekteur-regter. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[During visits to prisons it is always tragic to see thousands of young people in overcrowded cells with absolutely nothing to do. This idleness definitely serves as a breeding ground for sinister activities. This is where gang activity and drug abuse have their roots. It is imperative that we find ways for prisoners to engage meaningfully.
Agriculture is being run effectively at some of our institutions and tons of vegetables and meat are being produced. This concept has proven itself over and over again at the Kirkwood Prison in the Eastern Cape. However, agricultural production in Correctional Services has declined by 50% in the past 10 years. Even worse than this, the number of prisoners involved in agriculture has decreased from 6 600 to 2 200.
As far as staff members are concerned it is clear that the morale of regular members is extremely low. These officials are working in an environment that would be depressing to any sane person. In addition, members are receiving extremely poor salaries and are exposed to dangers on a daily basis.
Minister, you will have to see to it that employees of Correctional Services are afforded a better working environment. Your announcement earlier in your speech is heartening and we thank you for that.
With regard to crime in our prisons it seems that we are giving up. Drugs and weapons are brought into our centres with the greatest of ease - in many cases with the assistance of wardens. Add to this regular fraud in tendering and it really seems as if we are facing an emergency situation. Minister, it is your duty to support competent employees and to save us any further embarrassment.
In conclusion, I would like to welcome Judge Deon van Zyl and I trust that he will render a valuable service as an inspecting judge. I thank you.]