Madam Speaker, the people of South Africa laid down their lives to live in peace and in a secure environment. The festive season again poses a serious challenge to the Department of Correctional Services in terms of the perceived escalation in attempts by offenders to escape and the security risk this brings to the safety and security of the public.
One escape by an offender places an enormous and extra burden on the resources of other security partners, namely the SA Police Service and this further diverts attention in terms of human and material resources from more critical crime prevention operations to the tracing and tracking of the offenders.
The festive season safety plan under the banner of Operation Vala should also find resonance within the context of diverting and channelling offenders' activism towards sports and recreational activities as a means of promoting rehabilitation through sports during this period. The launch will take place in Kokstad during the beginning of December and as the ANC we commend the Department of Correctional Services on its efforts to involve itself in crime prevention and awareness measures that aim to complement government security measures and plans during the festive season. I thank you.