Chairperson, I see knobkerries coming this way ... [Laughter] ... but I know it will be knobkerries of education, and not physical ones. First, just to respond to one or two points, and because I do not have much time to do that, there was a question on the meeting between the Directors-General of Correctional Services and Justice. Now I am informed ... The questioner is not here, so I do not know whether I should continue with this. I will do it for the sake of the House. I am informed that the meeting is ongoing and that it will continue next week, but the essence of the meeting which the member was asking about, was in fact to look at the possibilities of finding alternative accommodation in order to house those children who are in Pollsmoor and to transfer them to a place of safety, so as to alleviate the overcrowding there.
I am also informed that today at 14:00 there was a meeting between the Director of Public Prosecutions, the President of the Regional Court, the regional head and representatives of SAPS and Correctional Services, who also met with the MEC responsible for welfare in the Western Cape, just to look at how to implement the above efforts in order to mobilise assistance and resources. I must also add that it has become imperative that these efforts are replicated in other provinces where the plight of children and overcrowding are also in existence. It is not only in the Western Cape that this happens, and therefore this ought to be used as a pilot project to do so in other provinces.
Secondly, I want to respond to the question of understaffing or inadequate staffing. Yes, I mentioned that, that when it comes to escapes, one of the causes of those escapes is the inadequate staffing in some of our prisons. So we do suffer that problem which the other member mentioned. The question of overpopulation and overcrowding sometimes reminds me, especially when the criticism is levelled at us, of when I was growing up. Older boys would sit next to the road, and when one passed by, they would just call one and ask why one was so ugly, and then start slapping one around and hitting one for being ugly. Or sometimes one would stare in their direction and they would say ``What are you looking at?'' I am sure a lot of people have experienced that. Then they would slap one around just for looking in their direction.
Now, I want to say to hon Mr Wiley that the police have arrested people, and there is a figure of 37% of overcrowding in the prisons in the Western Cape. The police are arresting people. They are doing their job, arresting these people, and that member's police are doing that, which is a good job, and the courts are also processing these people. They must go to prison. I am responsible for prisons and therefore they are coming to prisons. I cannot tell the police not to arrest people now because the prisons are full. I cannot say to the courts not to do that to juveniles or children. I can only ask where there are other places where we can keep these people, but if they are supposed to go to prison, they go to prison, where we are responsible. I feel that sometimes I am simply being slapped for being ugly. The prisons are overcrowded and I am now responsible and slapped for being ugly. [Laughter.] [Time expired.]