Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, Deputy Ministers, national commissioner, Inspecting Judge of Correctional Services, members of the National Council on Correctional Services, ladies and gentlemen, I greet you.
Sihlalo, angicale ngaloku lokubaluleke kakhulu. Tsine njengaKhongolose siyalijabulela Leliphakelo leletfulwa nguLelitiko. Siyabonga. [Applause.] (Translation of Siswati paragraph follows.) [Chairperson, let me start with what is more important. We as the ANC are happy with the Budget Vote presented by this department. We thank you.]
Chairperson, let me also join the Minister, the Deputy Minister and members of Parliament in taking this moment to honour the memory of Comrade Mama Nyanda, who was a member of the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services. She served this committee with distinction. May her soul rest in peace.
The Constitution of this country, in section 35(2)(e), provides clearly that everyone who is detained, including every sentenced prisoner, has a right to "conditions of detention that are consistent with human dignity", including the provision of adequate accommodation at state expense. Clearly, conditions in our prisons as they currently stand are in direct violation of this section of our Constitution, considering the level of overcrowding in our facilities.
In their annual report for 2010-11, the Office of the Inspecting Judge indicated that, at the end of March 2011, a total of 18 centres were critically overcrowded, by 200% or more, and recommended that these centres should be prioritised.
In addition, the report indicated that there was an uneven distribution of inmates nationally in our correctional centres. I would like to call upon the Department of Correctional Services to look into this as a matter of urgency. I am certain that the transfer of offenders to centres that are far from their families will cause problems, but I hope there will be a reasonable compromise on this issue. I am convinced that it is better to have offenders far from their families and have decent conditions of detention, where they are able to access rehabilitation programmes in a conducive environment, than it is to have them in overcrowded facilities where rehabilitation is a pipe dream because of the conditions in those centres.
Chairperson, I also want to indicate that this is good not only for the offenders but also for their families and society in general. I say this because once offenders are rehabilitated, we can at least be sure that society will be safe when they are released. This is in line with Outcome 3 - that everybody in South Africa should feel safe and be safe.
We seem to have more people going into prison than people leaving prison. This could partly be because of the inefficiencies and inconsistencies of our parole boards and case management committees. I hope the department will take a serious look at these entities.
I must also indicate that I am happy that our President, Comrade Jacob Zuma, has announced a special remission of sentence of six months for all offenders, including probationers and parolees, and a further 12 months for certain categories of offenders. This will indeed alleviate overcrowding in our facilities to some extent. That was good, Chairperson, and we thank the President for remembering our offenders.
Kodvwa-ke,Nngijabhile ngelilunga lelihloniphekile Mnguni. Ngesikhatsi Indvuna isitjela kutsi kutakwenteka loko bekusengakenteki. Nawe, bewukhona, sadzimate sabonga satsi Indvuna isetsembile, satsi sibonga kakhulu ngaloku lekushoko.
Lengitakutjela kona-ke, Mnguni kutsi wena ngeke uze ube nguMengameli, ngeke wena ukwati kukhulula tiboshwa. Loko kwentiwa ngumuntfu longuMengameli welive kuphela. Nangabe bewucabanga kutsi ungakwenta loko, ngitsi kuwe klibhi klololo! Kukudze engcoseni.
Angiphindze ngisho futsi kutsi, kulesibonelelo sekukhululwa kwetiboshwa lesiletfwa nguMengameli, siyabonga kakhulu kuwe, Mengameli. Futsi-ke, usite tsine ngobe bese kugcwele kakhulu lapha emajele.
Ngimangaliiswe nanguBabe Ndlovu, kutsi abite bantfu ngekutsi tinswela boya ngisho nome sebasekulungisweni! [Tandla.] Labantfu basemajele alelitiko, lelitiko phela alifanani nakucala lapho wawutsi nawungena khona wesabe, ngobe vele kwakwesabeka. Lapha kulungisiswa similo semuntfu kutsi sicondze. Nome ngabe bekayinswela boya, kodvwa nase alapha, uyakhiwa angabe asaba ngiyo inswelaboya. Ngako-ke, esh! Leligama lekutsi bakhulule tinswelaboya alikangiphatsi kahle mine kwekutsi bakhulula tinswela boya. Bantfu phela laba, bayaphila. Labanye babo banaketfu nome bodzadzewetfu. Loko labakonile bayakuvuma, batisole ngako futsi bafise nekuphuma batiletse bona emphakatsini. Kodvwa- ke labo labaphindze bagange siphindze sibabutse futsi sibabuyisele emajele. Ngobe phela kusho kutsi lesimilo sisuke sisengakalungi kahle hle, kusuke kusafuna siphindze silungisiswe. [LihlombeTandla.]
Awu! Babe Groenewald, uyapitiliza bo! Uyapitiliza lunga lelihloniphekile, kodvwa angikusoli. Wentiwa kutsi awuzange sewulubeke lwakho lunyawo ekomidini. Upitiliza nje, tonkhe letintfo lotipitiliza ngato atingeni nakancane kuletintfo lesihlale sitikhuluma imihla nemalanga. N giyabona kutsi nawucala nje kupitiliza, kufuneka bese sitfola umhumushi atesichazela kutsi loku lokupitilizako k usho kutsini. [Kuhlaba Lulwimi.] [Luhleko.] Uyabona-ke Sihlalo? (Translation of Siswati paragraphs follows.)
[I am disappointed with the hon member Mnguni. When the Minister tells us what is going to happen, that does not mean it has already happened. You were also present - we even thanked the Minister for trusting us and we said thank you very much for what she said.
What I want to say to you, hon Mnguni, is that you are not the President and you cannot give parole to offenders. That is done only by the person who is the President of the country. If you thought you could do it, I am saying to you that will never happen.
Let me reiterate that for the provision of parole to offenders, which was extended by the President, we say thank you very much, Mr President. You helped us a lot because the prisons are overcrowded.
I was also surprised by Mr Ndlovu. He referred to people as thugs even though those people were in rehabilitation. [Applause.] Those people are in correctional centres of the department, and this department is no longer the same as before, when you would have been terrified when you got inside, because it was indeed terrifying. It is now a place where a person's behaviour is rehabilitated. Even though a person was a thug, when he is in there, he will be rehabilitated and he will change.
Therefore, I am not comfortable with the use of the phrase, "thugs are released!" These are people; they are alive. Some of them are our brothers and sisters. They acknowledged that they were guilty; they showed remorse and they want to be released and integrate themselves into the community. Those who offend again are arrested and sent back to prison. This means that their character has not been properly rehabilitated; it needs more rehabilitation. [Applause.]
Oh no, Mr Groenewald, you are prattling! You are prattling, hon member, but I don't blame you. The reason you are doing this is that you have never been to the committee. What you are saying is not part of the things we talk about daily in the committee. I think we should get an interpreter to interpret your prattling as soon as you start talking. [Interjections.] [Laughter.] Can you see that, Chairperson?]