Ngibingelela uSihlalo, uNgqongqoshe Wozokuhlunyeleliswa Kwezimilo nePhini lakhe, abahlonishwa nabahlonishwakazi. Kubukeka sengathi isibalo sabantwana abasebancane abasemajele siya ngokwanda. Ngonyaka ka- 2007, kwakugwetshwe abantwana abangamaphesenti angama-44 kwathi ababengakagwetshwa babengamaphesenti angama-56. Sizencane izindawo ezilungiselelwa ukugcina izephulamthetho ezingabantwana.
UMnyango Wezokuhlunyeleliswa Kwezimilo kufanele uzame ukubheka indlela entsha yokuqondisa izigwegwe ezokwakha abantwana lapha abayizaphulamthetho. Lapha sikhuluma ngezingane ezineminyaka eyi-18 ubudala kuya phansi. Zikhona nesezedlulile eminyakeni eyi-18 kodwa nakuzo kubukeka sengathi kusafanele siyixoxe, Ngqongqoshe, le ndaba ukuthi uma sikhuluma ngezephulamthetho ezisencane sithi ukuyenyusa iminyaka, ngoba kuyesabisa uma usufika lapha ejele. Uvele ubone ukuthi azikho esikoleni, zilaphaya ejele.
Siyamangalisa isibalo sabantwana abasemajele. Izindawo ezihamba phambili iGauteng enesibalo esiyi-8234, iKwaZulu-Natali ibe nezi-6619, iMpumalanga Kapa ibe nezi-4157, iMpumalanga kanye neNyakatho Ntshonalanga zibe ne-5666, iNyakatho Kapa neFreyisitata zibe ne-3975 bese kuthi iNtshonalanga Kapa yona ibe ne-5622. Sikhuluma ngezingane lapha okufanele engabe zisesikoleni. Siyayibona ukuthi iGauteng igamba phambili bese kulandela iKwaZulu-Natali. Asazi ukuthi kusho ukuthini lokhu. Mhlawumbe kusafanele sibheke ukuthi kungani lezi zifundazwe zihambe phambili.
Ngesikhathi silaphaya e-Westville, safika sathola ukuthi kukhona izingane eziningi ezingafundi kodwa futhi zikhona ezifundayo. Lezi ezifundayo sathola ukuthi zenza kahle kakhulu esikoleni. Umatekuletsheni wakhona uphasa ngamaphesenti ayi-100 - kukhona nezithola o-A. Sase sizibuza ukuthi kunganjani ukuthi onke amajele abe nalezi zakhiwo lapho okuzothi izingane zifundiswe khona. Mhlawumbe kungasisiza kakhulu lokhu ukuthi ijele nejele libe nendawo lapho izingane zizokwazi ukuthi zifunde khona, ikakhulukazi lezi eziseneminyaka emincane.
Esinye sezinqumo zasePolokwane engqungqutheleni kaKhongolose sikhuluma ngendaba yokuthi kufanele kube indlela yokubheka izinhlobo ezehlukene zamajele ngokunjalo namacala, iminyaka yezaphulamthetho nokuthi mhlawumbe zingajeziswa kanjani zingayiswanga ejele. Lesi sinqumo siveza izindlela ezilula zokubhekana nezaphulamthetho ngendlela yokungazivaleli emajele. Siyaveza futhi ukuthi noma bebancane kodwa bayabenza ubugebengu obushaqisayo, kodwa laba abenza amacala amancane sengathi singaba nendlendlana yokuthi singabagqumi emajele ngoba isuke besibangena egazini le nto ngesikhathi behleli laphaya emajele.
EMlazi kunehhovisi abalisebenzisayo elibizwa nge-probation office lapho okuthi njalo uma amaphoyisa ebopha isephulamthetho esisencane abike kuleli hhovisi, bese lona liba nendlela yokumfaka lapha abangamfaka khona lo mntwana oboshiwe. Angazi noma akhona yini kwezinye izindawo lama-probation office. Ngikubona kuyinto enhle lokhu okwenzeka laphaya eMlazi.
UMongameli wezwe, uThabo Mbeki, wagcizelela lezi zinqumo ngokusho ukuthi uhulumeni uzoshintsha indlela okusebenza ngayo ezomthetho. Le ndlela izoveza izindlela ezingcono zokwandisa noma ukulungisa izimilo. Ngqongqoshe, iKhomishane kaJali yabeka umkhombandlela emva kokuba kade yenza uphenyo lwayo mayelana nezinto okufanele sizenze. Ngiyamethemba-ke, Ngqongqoshe, umphathi omusha wezokuhlunyeleliswa kwezimilo ukuthi uzoyibamba. Sengathi lezi zinto ezanconywa iKhomishane kaJali singazibona zenzeka ngoba ngethemba ukuthi kukhona lapho ezizosifikisa khona.
Okunye-ke, Ngqongqoshe, esikujabulelayo yilokhu kokuthi iziboshwa seziyakwazi ukuthola ama-ARV. Siyakhumbula ukuthi kwaze kwaba khona isixakaxakana kodwa-ke sesiyazi manje ukuthi sezikhona izikhungo zokuhlunyeleliswa kwezimilo esezikwazi ukukhipha lama-ARV. Enye-ke indawo esiye siyizwe inconywa iGauteng. Siye sizwe nokuthi izibhedlela zakhona seziyakwazi ukunikeza laba bantu ababoshiwe amakhambi ama-ARV.
Okwamanje singasho nje sithi lehlile izinga leziboshwa ezeqayo emajele uma uqhathanisa neminyaka eyedlule. Ezinye zazo kuyabonakala ukuthi bebesizwa abasebenzi boMnyango. Okunye okuhle ukuthi uMnyango uyaziqondisa izigwegwe zabantu abatholakala benesandla ekweqeni kweziboshwa. Siyakuncoma lokho, Ngqongqoshe, ukuthi basheshe bathathelwe izinyathelo laba okutholakala ukuthi bona igama lo Mnyango.
Ngqongqoshe, ngizogcizelela kakhulu sengiya ngasekugcineni ukuthi mhlawumbe kunokulokhu sikhala ngokuthi akwakhiwe amajele, asikhale ngokuthi kwakhiwe lokhu esikubiza nga-reformatory schools, lapho sizokwazi khona ukuthi abantu bayafunda kunokuthi silokhu sikhalela ukuthi abaqoqelwe ndawonye.
Mhlawumbe asibhekisise kakhulu ukuthi singenzenjani ukuze kwande ama- reformatory schools, ngoba kuyabonakala ukuthi isizwe sizophelela laphaya ejele uma kungekho okwenziwayo ukuvimbela lokho. Kusho ukuthi-ke, Ngqongqoshe, ngizothi udinga imali ethe xaxa ukuze ukwazi ukufeza zonke lezi zidingo ezingaka ezidingakalayo. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu speech follows.)
[Mr Z C NTULI: Chairperson, Minister of Correctional Services, his deputy, Members of Parliament, I greet you all. It looks like the number of young people in correctional centres is increasing. In 2007, at least 44% of the youth were convicted prisoners whilst 56% were awaiting-trial offenders. And we still do not have the necessary facilities in our centres to cater for these young offenders.
The Department of Correctional Services must try and find a new strategy for dealing with the wayward young offenders and putting them on the right track. Here we are talking about the youth who are 18 years of age and below. Minister, we also have youth who are slightly above 18 and it would seem that we still need to discuss the question of the age of minority because when one visits these centres, one can see that the conditions are appalling. You can simply tell from the first glance that these youth are not at school there, but in prison.
The number of juvenile offenders in correctional centres is astonishing. Statistics show that Gauteng has a record of 8 234 incarcerated youth; followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 6 619; Eastern Cape has 4 157; whilst Mpumalanga and North West combined have 5 666; both Northern Cape and Free State have 3 975, followed by the Western Cape with 5 622. Here we are talking about children who are supposed to be at school. I can see that Gauteng is leading the pack and it is immediately followed by KwaZulu-Natal and I do not know what this means. Maybe we need to investigate the reasons for these provinces leading in this regard.
On our oversight visit to Durban Westville Correctional Centre, we found that a lot of youths inside the centre were not attending school but some of them attended school. We found that those who are attending school are doing very well at school. Their matric pass rate is 100% and some of them even get distinctions. We then felt that it could be a good thing if all correctional centres could have these structures in place where these youth could be taught. Maybe this can help us a lot if every correctional centre can have a reformatory school where the youth can learn, more especially those who are below age.
One of the resolutions of the ANC conference that was held in Polokwane points out the need for finding a way of dealing with different types of correctional centres, crimes, the age of offenders as well as the different forms of noncustodial sentences. This resolution points out better ways of dealing with offenders without putting them behind bars. The resolution does, however, acknowledge that even though they are young and do commit serious offences, those who commit trivial offences should be catered for in a better way to avoid sending them to jail because they get addicted to prison lifestyle.
At Umlazi police station, there is a probation office where police officers report every arrest that they have effected on a young offender. This office in turn would then decide on a conversion programme where a young offender could be accommodated. I do not know if other places have this probation office. I consider what is happening at Umlazi as a good thing.
President Thabo Mbeki emphasised these resolutions by saying that government will change the way in which the legislative institutions operate. This strategy will come up with better ways of enhancing moral rehabilitation. Minister, the Jali Commission of Inquiry gave us a guideline as to how to deal with these things. I trust that the new Commissioner of Correctional Services will perform well. I wish to see the implementation of the recommendations of the Jali Commission of Inquiry because I hope that they can get us somewhere.
Minister, another thing that we are grateful about is that of qualifying offenders getting antiretrovirals. We all remember that there was a state of confusion regarding this matter but we all know that there are correctional centres which are issuing these ARVs now. Gauteng is said to be doing very well in this regard. We also heard that Gauteng hospitals are now able to issue ARVs to offenders. For now we can safely say that the number of escapees has drastically dropped when compared to the number in previous years. There are indications that some of them were assisted by the departmental officials. One good thing though is that the department is sternly dealing with those officials found to be responsible for the escaping of offenders. Minister, we appreciate that disciplinary action is immediately taken against those who destroy the department's good image.
Minister, in conclusion, I wish to state that maybe instead of nagging you about building more correctional centres, we should put our efforts into asking you to build reformatory schools so that we should know that young offenders are attending school instead of idly sitting in prison.
Maybe we should think more on what we can do to increase the number of reformatory schools. If we put our energies into building prisons, it is clear that the whole nation would end up in jail if there is nothing done to stop this. In other words, Minister, I would say you need more funds to be allocated to you so as to achieve all this. [Applause.]]