2023-w677 - 17 March 2023

Yoliswa Nomampondomise Yako to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

With regard to the consideration by the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services looking at a bail funds system similar to that of the United States in a bid to reduce overcrowding in prisons to date, what total number of inmates are incarcerated due to their inability to pay the required bail amount?

Reply from the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services on 17 Mar 2023

Out of a total number of 56 067 remand detainees as on 01 February 2023, 5 680
(10, 13%) of those remand detainees were detained with the option of bail, while 50 387 (89, 87%) were not granted bail. Furthermore, additional analysis conducted showed that on 31 January 2023, a total of 1 291 remand detainees were detained with an option of bail of R1000 and less. ...

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2023-w656 - 17 March 2023

Laetitia Heloise Arries to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

Considering the need to have all court hearings recorded, what (a) is the total number of courts that have alternative energy sources to enable the courts to continue functioning during load shedding and (b) is the total number of courts which are rendered dysfunctional due to load shedding?

Reply from the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services on 17 Mar 2023

a). The total number of courts that have alternative energy sources to enable the courts to continue functioning during load shedding is one hundred and thirty nine (139) courts.

b). The total number of courts which are rendered dysfunctional due to load shedding is four hundred and seventeen (417) courts.

Below is a summary table of all the courts per province.

NO.

PROVINCE

FUNCTIONAL ...

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2023-w650 - 17 March 2023

Naledi Nokukhanya Chirwa to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

In light of the reports that out of 3697 criminal cases of child neglect and child abuse against parents and caregivers, with only 35 being imprisoned in the period starting from 2012 to 2022, what (a) has he found to be the reasons for the situation of only 35 imprisonments, (b) are the demographics surrounding the alleged perpetrators of the criminal charges and (c) steps is his department intending to take to ensure that justice is served timeously to vulnerable children?

Reply from the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services on 17 Mar 2023

Child abuse, neglect or ill-treatment of children as well as the abandonment of children are all offences that are regarded in a very serious light by the National Prosecuting Authority. As such, these cases are heard by the Regional courts and are also prioritised due to the impact of the offence on the children.

The reasons that the court consider in imposing any specific ...

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2023-w614 - 17 March 2023

Glynnis Breytenbach to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

(a) To what degree has the Potchefstroom Magistrate's Court roof collapse affected and/or delayed court proceedings and (b) what measures have been taken to restore the full functionality of the court?

Reply from the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services on 17 Mar 2023

I have been informed by the Provincial Head of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in the North-West, as follows:

a) The court proceedings were delayed where necessary in the first two weeks due to the postponement of cases, thereafter alternative accommodation was arranged for Court sittings.

b) Measures taken to restore the full functionality of the Court is that a contingency plan ...

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2023-w607 - 17 March 2023

Anna Maria Van Zyl to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

(1)Whether, in light of a new Correctional Services Facility that is being constructed in Burgersdorp, located in the Walter Sisulu Local Municipal area, which is a drought-stricken area with poor bulk infrastructure on water and sanitation and it already exceeds the Notified Maximum Demand (NMD) of Eskom, which means load reduction is applied, he and/or his department did an impact study to assess if the (a) water and sanitation grid and (b) electricity grid can handle the extra volume of added persons to the specified area; if not, why not, in each case; if so, (2) Whether he and/or his department will furnish Ms A.M van Zyl with a copy of the specified impact study; if not, why not; if so, by what date; (3) What steps will be taken by his department to ensure that water and sanitation infrastructure is properly managed and does not cause residents to suffer any consequences; (4) What steps will be taken by his department to ensure that the NMD is not added as well, which will put more pressure on the system and lead to more load reduction for residents?

Reply from the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services on 17 Mar 2023

(1) A comprehensive impact study was conducted and subsequently an Environmental Authorisation in terms of the National Environmental Management Act (Act No. 107 of 1998GN and 983 as amended), for the upgrade and expansion of the Burgersdorp Correctional Facility within the Walter Sisulu Local Municipality was approved by the Department of Environmental Affairs.

(1)(a) Confirmation of bulk water services availability for the upgrades and ...

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2023-w398 - 17 March 2023

Glynnis Breytenbach to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

What steps has his Department taken since 1 September 2022 to fix the collapsed roof of the Potchefstroom Magistrate’s Court?

Reply from the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services on 17 Mar 2023

On 27 February 2020, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) handed over the site to the contractor to carry out planned maintenance to the entire building of the Magistrate’s Court. However, COVID-19 lockdown regulations disrupted the project, as soon as the restrictions were lifted and the contractor came back on site, access to the building was an issue, the local business forum ...

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2023-w430 - 17 March 2023

Glynnis Breytenbach to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

What measures has the Department of Justice taken to ensure that disruptions to court activities resulting from load shedding are kept to a minimum?

Reply from the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services on 17 Mar 2023

I wish to inform the Honourable Member that the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJ&CD) is working very hard to minimize the impact of load-shedding on the functioning of the courts and other service delivery points.

To ensure that disruptions to court activities resulting from load-shedding are kept to a minimum, DoJ&CD has registered a project to install eighty (80) generators with Department ...

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2023-w328 - 17 March 2023

Naledi Nokukhanya Chirwa to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

(1)What number of (a) sexual offenders have (i) been released from incarceration in the past year and (ii) again been accused and brought before courts for sexual crimes and/or grievous crimes after their release from incarceration and (b) former inmates have been rearrested for sexual crimes and brought before a court in the past five years; (2) What plans has (a) he put in place to curb the phenomenon and (b) his department put in place to devise a working rehabilitation programme that will result in the reduction of the reoccurrence of sexual crimes by former inmates?

Reply from the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services on 17 Mar 2023

(1)(a)(i)

REGION

TOTAL

Eastern Cape

132

Gauteng

250

KwaZulu-Natal

389

Limpopo/Mpumalanga/North West

333

Free State/Northern Cape

272

Western Cape

268

GRAND TOTAL

1 644

(1)(a)(ii) Without the unique (Biometric) identification, we are unable to provide accurate records of those that re-offended.

(1)(b) Without the unique (Biometric) identification, we are unable to provide accurate records of those that re-offended.

(2)(a)(b) The Correctional Programme on sexual ...

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2023-w152 - 17 March 2023

Lorato Florence Tito to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

What are the relevant details of the measures that have been put in place to (a) monitor the progress of Legal Aid lawyers and (b) ensure that the board of Legal Aid South Africa executes their duties effectively and fairly?

Reply from the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services on 17 Mar 2023

a) All Legal Aid South Africa’s practitioners are allocated a supervisor. The ratio of practitioners per supervisor is set at five (5) CLPs to a supervisor and nine (9) LPs to a supervisor. This ratio is reviewed on a continuous basis.

Legal Aid SA covers courts using a practitioner per court model, i.e. all practitioner are allocated to a specific court. Court coverage plans ...

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2023-w60 - 17 March 2023

Glynnis Breytenbach to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

Who is the current Head of the Justice College; (2) Whether the incumbent is a permanent appointment; if not, for how long has the position been filled by an acting Head; if so, what are the relevant details.

Reply from the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services on 17 Mar 2023

1. The current Acting Head of Justice College is Mr DM Mpholo who holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, and has experience in the area of Human Resource Development and Training.

2. Mr Mpholo is a permanent employee of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, and was appointed as Chief Director in Human Resource Unit. Given the fact that the Department has ...

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