Chairperson, here is another whinge about our criminal justice system. Access to the courts is unsatisfactory, the majority of court users lack basic information and are not being shown courtesy and respect; court processes are not explained to them and there is no complaints procedure; court staff do not deliver the service expected by court managers; the conditions of court buildings is poor.
This is not the DA whingeing, but the Public Service Commission, which published these findings earlier this year. Added to that, after years of promises, more than half of our courts are not connected electronically or properly secured against the background of a renewed serious violent crime wave; there are large and rising backlogs in the lower courts with over 200 000 outstanding cases; more than 200 prosecutors' posts are not filled; yet, nevertheless the department failed to spend its increased budget efficiently, with last-minute roll-overs of approximately R300 million, and we still do not have information from Treasury on whether they have been agreed to or not.
Filling vacancies in the Chapter Nine institutions falling under the department's control has been mismanaged, so that half the commissioners' posts in the Human Rights Commission and all on the Gender Commission are vacant, except for that of the chair.
And then there are those Bills undermining the independence of judiciary, which are still lying about and are still being punted by the Deputy Minister, but which, according to Chief Justice Pius Langa, no judge supports because they are flawed and against our foundational values. The organised legal fraternity, both domestically and internationally, supports the judges, as does the DA. These are just some of the reasons, and there are plenty more, why the DA cannot support the Justice Budget Vote this year. Thank you.