Voorsitter, in Suid-Afrika het 'n misdadiger 'n 90% kans om weg te kom met misdaad, want as daar gekyk word na die statistiek sien ons dat die aantal sake wat aangemeld word en daardie sake wat dan suksesvol deur ons howe gevoer word en waar 'n vonnisbevinding plaasvind slegs 10% is. Soos ek reeds genoem het, het 'n misdadiger dus 'n 90% kans om weg te kom.
Hierdie wysigingswetsonwerp is 'n stap in die regte rigting. Die VF Plus verwelkom dit dat die regering darem op 'n stadium gekom het waar hulle besef het dat daar drastiese stappe gedoen moet word. Ek het wel kritiek. Die vraag is: Hoekom moes ons so lank wag? Ons wag nou al vir, kan ek amper s, jare om te s dat daar indringend na die misdaadsituasie gekyk moet word.
Dit help nie dat die Minister van Polisie en sy mense hard werk om misdadigers te vang en aan te keer en dat hul hande dan agter hul re vasgemaak word as hulle sekere ondersoeke moet doen nie. Dit is ook waar. Dit is ges dat die publiek dalk nou die indruk mag kry dat, omdat vingerafdrukke nou ook met Binnelandse Sake en Vervoer gekontroleer kan word, 'n misdadiger baie vinniger opgespoor gaan word. Ons het nou wel die wetgewing in plek, maar dit help nie as die rekenaars nie met mekaar aanpasbaar is nie, want dan sal dit nie vinnig gedoen kan word nie.
Dit sal beteken dat daar kontak gemaak moet word met 'n persoon binne Binnelandse Sake, maar die VF Plus sou wou sien dat die rekenaarstelsel van so 'n aard is dat dit onmiddelik opgevolg kan word. Afhangende van 'n misdaad word daar gepraat van die kritieke 24 uur of die 36 uur of die 48 uur daarna. Hierdie wetgewing is die stap in die regte rigting om dit vinniger moontlik te maak om misdadigers te identifiseer, te ondersoek, en te arresteer. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Mr P J GROENEWALD: Chairperson, in South Africa a criminal has a 90 per cent chance of getting away with crime, because when statistics are viewed we notice that the number of reported cases that is successfully brought to court and where a sentence is passed only makes up for 10% of these cases. As I mentioned before, a criminal has a 90 per cent chance of getting away with crime.
This amending Bill is a step in the right direction. The FF Plus welcomes the fact that the government at least reached a stage where it realised that drastic steps need to be taken. I certainly have some criticism. The question is: Why did we have to wait so long? We have been waiting for years, so to speak, to say that the incidence of crime should be looked at urgently.
It does not help for the Minister of Police and his personnel to work hard to catch criminals and then their hands are tied when they need to carry out certain investigations. That is also true. It is said that the public may now perhaps get the impression that, since fingerprints could now also be checked with the Departments of Home Affairs and Transport, a criminal would be traced much quicker. Indeed, we may have the legislation in place, but it does not help if the computers are not compatible because then it cannot be done quickly.
It would imply that contact have to be made with a person within Home Affairs, but the FF Plus would like to see that the computer system is of such a nature that it would be possible to follow up immediately. Depending on the crime, reference is made to the critical 24 or 36 or 48 hours thereafter. This legislation is a step in the right direction for making it possible to identify, investigate, and arrest criminals quicker. I thank you.]