Hon Minister, Deputy Minister, colleagues, comrades and friends. When the Minister addressed this august House and said inmates will be used to build prisons or correctional centres, I immediately received questions from my two colleagues, hon Windvo?l and hon Tau, about whether we are not running a risk of allowing them to build escape routes. [Laughter.] I said I can't respond to that; the Minister will have to respond to that one.
Let me take the opportunity to thank the Minister and the Deputy Minister for their co-operation at all times. Whenever the committee wants to engage them on anything, they are always available. If they do not show up in our meetings when invited, you must know that there is something very urgent that caused them not to attend.
Let me thank the Minister, the Deputy Minister, and the department as well, for always inviting our committee to attend all their functions or activities. We really appreciate this kind of gesture. To you, hon Minister, and your team, all I can say is that opportunities or good things will always follow those who walk an extra mile. This Minister, this Deputy Minister, and this department know that Parliament consists of two Houses. Thanks very much, hon Minister.
Let me now focus on things that we identified when we were doing our oversight on this department in the regions. The question of vacancies and understaffing is still a challenge. This challenge is affecting service delivery. Some of these key and senior positions, we were told, were vacant for not less than a year. This, I think, must be addressed as quickly as can be. We visited the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, North West and Mpumalanga. The song that is sung by all the regions is the same.
One other challenge is the large sums of money that is drawn by officials who are sitting at home, idly, doing nothing, because they are suspended. We want to urge the department to speedily and expeditiously finalise these cases. We can't allow people to keep on drawing money from the state, while doing nothing. This situation cannot be allowed to continue. I suggest that the department must create or have some measures that will assist in the speedy finalisation of these cases. I know the department will do something about it.
There is a complaint by some members of the community that sentenced offenders are idle and doing nothing in our correctional facilities, hence they have all the time in the world to think of these funny and silly things. Something must be done about this; I don't know what, but I know a solution will be found. I also think they must be given some work to do, other than watching TV the whole day and the whole night. Let's get a comment from the Minister about this.
Having said that, let me take this opportunity to thank the department for the work that is done by all our regions, especially commissioners, in the nine provinces. In some correctional centres they are producing food. In some other areas they don't even buy food because the inmates and everybody are eating food that is produced by inmates themselves. If you go to places like Tzaneen, Rooigrond, and Barberton you will find these kinds of activities. I think it's possible that all our correctional centres can embark on this project.
One other serious concern is the poor infrastructure in many of our facilities. Some of the buildings are old and dilapidated. At Zeerust and Nelspruit prisons the ceiling was collapsing and during the rainy season they leak like a sieve. On enquiry as to why they are not being fixed or repaired, the finger is always pointed at Public Works.
In last year's budget debate we raised this question about the relationship between this department and Public Works. We were assured that the relationship is good and is improving daily, but when we go to these facilities, the contrary is true.
While we are on the issue, hon Minister, I would like to know whether we can't create a means whereby your department can repair your own buildings, rather than waiting for Public Works because, at one correctional centre, they have been waiting for this one piece of ceiling to be put into that roof for almost two years; it's in Zeerust, to be specific.
At Pollsmoor Prison you still find inmates who are sentenced to serving sentences of three to six months. Some are expected to pay amounts not exceeding R1 000. If there is no co-operation between this department and the Department of Justice, overcrowding will be our daily bread. What can we do to assist this department in making sure that the Justice department comes on board? That is why we are not going to win this war against overcrowding. Let me leave this one because hon Manyosi, I suspect, will touch on overcrowding.
But in passing, let me indicate that in Barberton Prison, a cell that is supposed to house 840 inmates is currently housing 1 500 inmates. In Nelspruit they are supposed to house only 828 but currently they are housing 1 212. If the situation is like this I wonder if rehabilitation will be effective. I think something must be done about this.
To make sure people who are recruited to work in this department are loyal, trustworthy, reliable, honest and good, hon Minister, don't you think it's high time that all senior officials who are employed in your department must be vetted? That is a question to you, hon Minister. This will assist in dealing with these unwanted elements in this department.
The last but one issue that I wanted to touch on is the question of officials in the department belonging to the General Bargaining Council, instead of them being in the Safety and Security Sectoral Bargaining Council. Officials in all your regions, when we visit them, complain that they were wrongfully placed under the General Bargaining Council when they are supposed to be in the security bargaining council because they belong to the security cluster. Your comments please, hon Minister.
Hon Minister, your officials are working under very challenging and trying conditions. The question is: How often are they receiving counselling? I don't even want to imagine what would happen if you were to just take a few MPs to go and look after those dangerous criminals for only a week. It is not nice there!
We sometimes don't appreciate the good work that is done by our officials. Hon Minister, I suggest that you one day ask us to volunteer to go and look after those criminals at C-Max prison or Kokstad. Let's give these officials the support that they really deserve.
I would be failing in my duty if I don't thank my colleagues for being such a good team. If I had my way, I would urge your political parties to redeploy you back to Parliament after the elections next year.
This reminds me of the day when, after visiting Barberton Prison, we travelled a distance of not less than 320 km to Volksrust. We finished our meeting at Volksrust at 21:15 and drove back to Nelspruit, only to arrive there at 01:20. We only went to bed after 02:00. The following day we were expected to leave the hotel at 06:30 to go to Graskop, and we did just that. I was so fortunate to be working with such a dynamic and hardworking team. Your reputation, colleagues, is not built on what you are going to do, but on what you have done. It is true that teamwork makes common people attain uncommon results. I am sure no one in this House can deny that, to enjoy the top of the mountain, you must first endure being at the bottom of the mountain. Thank you, colleagues. Le ka moso ga go be bjalo. Mmatlaseromo o palega manga. Ga go be bjalo. Ke a le leboga. A re thekgeng kgoro ye ya ge?o. Ke re maatla ke a rena; ke a rena maatla. Ke a leboga. [Legofsi.] [Please keep up the good work. Diligence is the mother of good fortune. Keep it up. I thank you. Let us support our department. Power to the people! Thank you. [Applause.]]