Speaker, we are obviously glad that the Minister made this statement, and about the assurances that he has given to the House this afternoon.
The real pity is that he had to make this statement at all. There is a perception that the government is not serious about fighting crime and about punishing criminals. That perception is fuelled by the fact that inmates who are rich or well connected tend to have a better and more comfortable stay in prison than the average inmate.
It is a fact that bribery is rife in the department, and that inmates can obtain special privileges by paying officials. This is not only my own observation, but has recently been confirmed by the findings of the Jali Commission.
In Mr Yengeni's case, there is another dynamic at work. Because the ANC has blurred the distinction between party and state, many officials in the Department of Correctional Services are redeployed ANC cadres. Thus, the outgoing national commissioner and his deputy, Jenny Schreiner, are both former ANC MPs, as is the regional commissioner from KwaZulu-Natal, Nathi Nhleko, who was one of Mr Yengeni's successors as the ANC's Chief Whip.
Mr Yengeni was carried into prison, shoulder high, by, amongst others, correctional officers. He was treated to a send-off attended by the ANC's high and mighty, including the Speaker of the National Assembly. It is small wonder then that Mr Yengeni believed that he was untouchable and above the law. His former colleagues run the department, and many hon members here don't believe that he did anything particularly wrong.
We will only break the cycle when we take to heart the statement that there is, before the law, no rich, no poor, no high, no low, no black, no white, but one law that applies equally to everyone.
The Minister's statement was also instructive for what it did not say. A morning newspaper reports at length about how contracts were improperly awarded, and the links that exist between the company they were awarded to and the outgoing national commissioner. If even remotely true, this is a scandalous situation that must be fully and comprehensively investigated if the integrity of the tender process is to be restored. I thank you. [Applause.]