Thanks, Chairperson, but I think you should add another minute to my time.
Cope agrees with the Strategic Plan of the department, when it states that its mission is:
To contribute to maintaining and protecting a just, peaceful and safe society by enforcing decisions and sentences of courts in the manner prescribed in legislation, by detaining all inmates in safe custody while ensuring their human dignity, and by promoting the rehabilitation, social responsibility and human development of all offenders.
Cope believes that the core mandate of the department is to rehabilitate, and the social reintegration of inmates. We further believe that rehabilitation and social integration require all stakeholders to be involved. However, we have been worried because this programme has been poorly funded. It cannot be second from the bottom when it is the core mandate of the department! This department used to be a prison service, where rehabilitation and social integration were not part of its vocabulary. With this democratic government, human rights must always be upheld.
We thank the department for introducing the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services. However, we are worried about the manner in which it is structured. Firstly, the power vested in this commission is insufficient. And then, why does it not operate like the Independent Police Investigative Directorate? It is not accountable to the people that it investigates. I would say that the results expected will not be achieved, because the complaints of the prisoners, the inmates, are about the officials, but the inspectorate reports to the officials. That cannot be correct!
While rehabilitation and social integration require every stakeholder to be involved, many stakeholders were caught by surprise at the announcement of the reduction of sentences by the President of the Republic a few weeks ago. Many of these stakeholders are still asking questions with regard to the announcement. The announcement raised many serious questions.
The Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services was also surprised, even though it is an important stakeholder of the department. We accept that it is the President's prerogative to make such an announcement, but that should have been subject to a process of broad consultation, because the repercussions will affect many of us.
We are reminded of the reduction in sentences made by Presidents of the Republic previously. The reasons given were political. We have waited patiently to hear the reasons for this action, but unfortunately nothing has been forthcoming. Our understanding is that one plays politics in order to be popular. However, we do not believe that this is the reason for this announcement.
The aftereffects of this remission have negatively affected the normal business of the organisation - which is this department - in regard to rehabilitation and have disorganised smooth social reintegration. Officials of the department are on their own in ensuring that this announcement is implemented. One official, Mr Makgoba, was pleading with communities to accept released inmates back into the communities that they had come from.
That was when I realised that something had gone terribly wrong. When you have partners ... [Interjections.] So what! When you have partners, you involve them in the process of releasing prisoners. You cannot have partners when it is good for you, but leave them out when it is not! Cope believes that the stakeholders could have been part of this process. This announcement would then have been correct, on time and applaudable.
What we can safely say is that these released inmates will be back in prison before long, or they are back already. How do you know the environment they came from? Can you guarantee that they will be accepted into the communities that they came from? A person had three meals yesterday - can you guarantee that they will have a meal tomorrow? [Interjections.]
In all fairness, an insufficient consultative process was followed in regard to the released prisoners. Allow me to call this ill-advised planning, which will cost this country dearly. There is the question of whether the victims' rights were considered in this process, and the answer is no! What do you think the reaction of the victim will be when he or she sees the person who violated his or her rights? Is this not setting up the offenders against the victims?
The process requires a thorough consultative process, Minister. In this case, I am very disappointed because not even the portfolio committee discussed it! [Interjections.] I am in the portfolio committee. That is why I have a right to know that there are inmates who are going to be released! [Interjections.]