Chairperson, hon Minister, the FD believes that too much emphasises is being placed on funding to build more and more prisons with the result that we have fewer and fewer rehabilitated persons. Now, we don't believe that the emphasis should be on rehabilitation. The FD believes that the emphasis should be on prevention, restitution, then retribution and finally rehabilitation. The reason we have so many prisons and why the prisons are so full is because the emphasis is on building more prisons and trying to rehabilitate prisoners.
We believe that long-term imprisonment escalates the problems of overcrowding, prison violence, professional criminal training and the spreading of HIV/Aids. Therefore we believe that the emphasis must be on prevention and restitution. The FD believes that there should be individual responsibility for action taken and that needs to be stressed. Any system that removes a sense of personal accountability and guilt from the criminal is bound to fail.
Therefore, we oppose a situation in which prisoners receive better food, medical treatment or other privileges that are denied law-abiding citizens. We do not say that they should not get these in prison, but people living in informal settlements should also have the same privileges, especially those who cannot find employment. I thank you, Chair.