Thank you very
much hon House Chairperson, before I start, allow me to thank my wife for her support, my sister who has also been here and a special
mention to my sister because she paid for my university fees. If it was not for her, I might not be standing here. I could be herding cattle somewhere [Applause.] and the apostle of my church. This is the last day of the three Budget Votes I have done in the past few days.
With regard to overcrowding, I think all parties agree that it is a challenge. As a department we also agree that it is a challenge. We are looking at various plans to deal with it as I mentioned in the Budget Vote with regard to the pre-trial and the postsentencing procedures as to how we deal with overcrowding. I have heard hon Selfe's views and I have also read them on the Financial Mail. I think there is some kind of convergence.
Tshivenda:
Vho Mulaudzi, ndo vha pfa uri a vho khou ?o?a u amba nga tshikhuwa uri hoyu mugaganyagwama a vho ngo u ?anganedza. Ndi zwe zwa ita uri vha?we vha sa zwi pfe uri vhone a vho nga ?anganedza mugaganyagwama uyu. Fhedzi ri?e ro vha pfa nga haya ma?we mafhungo e vha amba ngao. Ndi mafhungo a fha?aho. Ri do a ?anganedza.
Zwa uri a vho ngo ?anganedza mugaganyagwama ri a zwi pfesesa uri ndi nga mulandu wa mini.
English:
There is an instruction from the central authority. So, we understand. The content is clear that hon Mulaudzi agree. Hon Horn, I think you are very lonely today because Mr Jeffrey is not debating. So, his punching bag is not there.
Hon Maseko-Jele has taken us through a spiritual journey which I think we need in this department. On our day to day work, we have to work to rehabilitate and remotivate the inmates. I think that spirit will reverberate in our prisons and correctional centres across the country.
With regard to St Albans Prison, we have initiated an investigation. We are going to report soon as to who, what and how the chickens were stolen. We have already put a new management team at St Albans. We have already put and suspended some officials at Westville Prison. Today, we announced another four that we have suspended. So, we are applying consequence management.
With regard to Suncity [Johannesburg] Prison, indeed, it is almost double as I have said during the budget input. We are looking at it because Suncity is aimed to be a reception correctional facility - almost where we admit offenders. Because of overcrowding, we are
unable to distribute them to other centres. The measures I have spoken about earlier, we are looking at them to ensure that resolve these traces.
With regard to Goedemoed Prison, one of our members, Ms Stuurman, was murdered on duty. We have opened a case with the SAPS and have suspended the officials that were involved in this matter. We are hoping that the SAPS will soon act on whoever was involved from within the department or from the inmates. Because member Stuurman was a woman, we will use and dedicate the month of women at correctional services in her honour; because this is a month for all women in our country. She died as a warrior; she died on duty and died in service of the country. [Applause.] For that reason, the month of August in the Department of Correctional Services will be used to in her honour.
With regard to various issues of financial mismanagement, we have appointed a new chairperson of the audit committee for the Department of Correctional Services. I think she is now in office for almost three months. The audit committee is now ready. We believe they will be able to assist us to ensure that the systems of control on financial management exist and are complied with. We will also do our oversight role and further our engagement with the
Auditor-General on the various issues that have been raised with regard to corruption. We have already said to the department that we are also going to apply zero tolerance to any form of corruption.
On insourcing, we have not only insourced on the Bosasa issue; we are also looking at insourcing the manufacturing or sewing of the member's uniform. We are doing our uniform, which might not be enough but we also have the capacity to be able to insource our own uniform. It is something we are looking at. The business model is going to be announced soon and that will enable us to insource the member's uniform. We are not dealing with insourcing only for these issues of Bosasa; all that can be possibly done and be insourced from within, we are doing it. This is real building of state capacity in action. We are not rhetoricking; we are doing it for real. Thank you very much. [Applause.]