Chairperson, I have been informed that, following the visit of the NCOP to these two police stations, the SAPS management in Limpopo implemented measures to address the problem. At Witpoort, two posts for police officials were advertised during September 2010. The two members are now completing a police training course at Tshwane Police Academy.
In the interim, eleven students have been sent to Witpoort to do their field training and will assist to beef up the current police strength until July 2011, when they will have completed their field training. No support personnel have been recruited as yet. However, they will receive attention in the 2011-12 financial year.
At Villa Nora, three additional personnel have been appointed to improve service delivery at this police station. Three posts for police officials were advertised in this area, Villa Nora. These posts will be filled during July 2011. It is envisaged that all posts listed above will be permanently filled within the next six months.
With regard to the visit by myself to the stations in question, I wish to point out that, during the course of my work, I regularly undertake visits to police stations around the country. In addition, the Civilian Secretariat for Police has recently embarked on visits to police stations to assess service delivery issues, and will report back to me and the Ministry as a whole on the outcome of these visits. Given the number of police stations in the country, it is important that we try to visit as many stations as possible, and this includes stations not visited by Parliament, because it is often these stations that have not received attention. I thank you. Appointment and distribution of appointed judicial officers, prosecutors and Legal Aid officers among rural provinces
16. Mr M H Mokgobi (ANC) asked the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development:
Whether his department ensures that the placement of appointed judicial officers, prosecutors and Legal Aid officers is distributed among the rural provinces in a balanced manner, taking into consideration the need to expand access to justice to rural communities; if not, what plans are being put in place by his department to expand access to justice to rural communities across the country; if so, what is the breakdown of the distribution of the appointed judicial officers, prosecutors and Legal Aid officers for each province in the past two years?