Chairperson; Minister Sibusiso Ndebele; Deputy Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi; National Commissioner Tom Moyane and the Senior Management of the Department of Correctional Services; chairperson of the portfolio committee, Comrade Vincent Smith; hon members of the portfolio committee; Inspecting Judge Vuka Maswazi Tshabalala; members of the National Council on Correctional Services; distinguished guests and fellow South Africans; comrades and friends; and ladies and gentlemen, I would like to start by extending my condolences to the families of the correctional officials who have passed on and to the families of offenders who have died in our correctional facilities.
My focus this afternoon is on security in correctional centres. The department is mandated to contribute to maintaining and protecting a just, peaceful and safe society by enforcing decisions and sentences of courts in the manner prescribed by legislation; detaining all inmates in safe custody, while ensuring their human dignity; and promoting the rehabilitation, social responsibility and human development of all offenders.
The department is also expected to play a critical role in ensuring that all people in South Africa are safe and that they feel safe. This is in line with the National Development Plan's vision and target for 2030, which is to build safer communities.
The vision of the NDP is that all people living in South Africa should feel safe in their homes, schools and at work and that they should enjoy a community life free of fear. Women should walk freely in the streets and children play safely outside.
The ANC is confident that the leadership of the department, working as a collective with stakeholders and communities, will ensure that this mandate from fellow South Africans is carried out.
The Freedom Charter, in its preamble, states clearly that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and that no government can claim authority unless it is based on the will of all the people. Therefore the mandate given to this department is based on the will of the people of South Africa.
Over the years we have witnessed significant improvements and developments in the operations of the department under the leadership of the ANC deployees such as the former Ministers Ngconde Balfour and Nosiviwe Mapisa- Nqakula, and the current Minister Sibusiso Ndebele.
The developments that we have witnessed under the ANC leadership include the development and adoption of the White Paper on Corrections in 2005; the establishment of the seven-day work week; and the shift system, which has saved the taxpayers' money annually to the amount of almost R1 billion on overtime payments for weekends. However, the department still needs to work closely with organised labour to develop an appropriate shift system that will work out successfully. [Laughter.]
As 2013 has been declared the year of the correctional official, the department should show a caring attitude towards its most valuable asset, which is the correctional official. A correctional official is the person who is expected to assist and facilitate the rehabilitation process of the offender. The department should find innovative ways of motivating officials so that they perform their duties efficiently.
The recent establishment of the remand detention branch and the Draft White Paper on Remand Detention is another positive development, which will address all issues dealing with remand detainees. This is indeed a move in the right direction and we therefore applaud the department.
The establishment of the position of chief security officer and the development of a gang-management strategy is another positive development under the ANC leadership. These developments will play an important role in strengthening security and boosting confidence in the correctional centre's security environment. We should acknowledge that the existence and operation of gangs in the correctional centres is not a new phenomenon and is not unique to South Africa. It is a global challenge facing correctional administrators.
Therefore, hon Selfe, the gang-management strategy will not be a quick-fix solution to gangs in our prisons. It is a long-term strategy meant to deal with the manifestation and existence of gangs in our correctional facilities.
Mhlonishwa u-Selfe, uyabona njengoba silapha eNtshonalanga Kapa, indaba yamaqembu emigulukudu ikhathaza wonke umuntu. Iyasikhathaza. Akuyona into okuthi uma ixoxwa, siyikhulume sengathi siyadlala ngoba kufa abantu abangenacala. Kufa izingane ezincane. Ufunde iphephandaba i-The Voice yayizolo, uzobona omunye umlisa oneminyaka engama-34, owajoyina iqembu lemigulukudu eneminyaka eyi-14. Into yokuqala ayenza kwaba ukubulala ngoba nobaba wakhe wayeyilungu leqembu lemigulukudu. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[Hon Selfe, as we are here in the Western Cape we all understand how rife gangsterism is in this area. We are all affected by it. It is not something to joke about since it is the cause of the loss of innocent lives all the time. Even children are murdered. In yesterday's issue of The Voice I read about a 34-year-old man who joined a group of gangsters when he was 14. He was initiated into the group by having to murder someone. Even his father was a gangster.]
The launching of Operation Vala in the financial year 2005-06, which was the brain child of former Minister Ngconde Balfour, has contributed significantly to the reduction in escapes in correctional centres, especially over the festive period.
Indeed, we have seen a drastic decrease in escapes from correctional centres since the ANC took over this department. This is based on the fact that escapes were reduced from 171 in 2004-05, to only 41 in 2011-12, under the leadership of the cadres deployed by the ANC.
We are confident that the department will not rest until there are zero escapes in correctional centres and all people are and feel safe. [Applause.]
Despite some improvements and achievements, the department is still faced with challenges. The number of unnatural deaths in correctional centres is a cause for concern.
The 2011-12 Annual Report of the Inspecting Judge revealed that there were 48 unnatural deaths in correctional centres across the country. Twenty of these deaths were attributed to suicide either by hanging, setting prison cells alight, electrocution or drug overdoses.
The number of suicides by hanging, especially in single cells, is alarming and measures must be put in place to increase monitoring of inmates in single cells or special care units. These suicides can be ascribed to the deep-rooted psychological problems experienced by a number of inmates in correctional centres.
It is, therefore, important that access to social workers and psychological services for inmates in correctional centres should be improved. It is also important that officials should be trained in identifying suicidal inmates.
Sexual violence in correctional centres is something that cannot be tolerated, especially if officials are aware of such cruel, inhumane and degrading acts perpetrated by gang members against inmates, but continue to ignore them.
We cannot expect a victim of sexual violence in prison to report it if he anticipates a lack of responsiveness, lack of sensitivity or basic protection from those who are charged with his care.
The issue of contraband, especially cellphones, in correctional centres is another challenge facing the department. We are aware that inmates have cellphones in their cells and these are the very same cellphones used to commit further crimes on the outside. The collusion between some officials and inmates in bringing cellphones, drugs and weapons into correctional centres is condemned in the strongest possible terms.
We urge the department to act speedily and decisively against such perpetrators. The Department of Correctional Services, in consultation with other sister departments and the private sector, should come up with innovative ways to ensure that cellphones are not used by inmates in correctional centres.
The issue of access control in correctional centres is something that needs to be addressed and finalised as a matter of urgency.
The Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services has always advocated for the installation of closed-circuit television cameras inside prison cells in order to strengthen security, especially, after lock-up. I hope the department will consider some of the proposals from the committee.
In his state of the nation address, President Jacob Zuma mentioned that we must continue to encourage people from all walks of life never to stop learning. The President further mentioned that he wants to see everyone in this country realising that education is an essential service for our nation.
Kuyathokozisa ukuthi umhlonishwa uNgqongqoshe uManzankosi uthi iziboshwa ezingenalo ibanga lika-Grade 9 kufanele okungenani enze imfundo yabadala kusuka ezingeni lokuqala kuya kwelesine. Lokhu kuzosiza ukuthi kuncishiswe izinga lokuphula umthetho ngaphakathi bese kuqinisa ukuphepha phakathi kwamajele ethu. Iziboshwa zizobe zimatasatasa zifunda. Zizobe zingadlali; zingenzi izinto ezingenambuyiselo noma eziwubugebengu. UNgqongqoshe uthethe isinyathelo esincomekayo. Siyabonga. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[We are pleased that the hon Manzankosi [clan name] has proposed that inmates who have not completed Grade 9 should at least attend Abet levels 1 to 4. This will help to curb crime inside our prisons and increase safety and security. Prisoners will be too busy with their education to have time to commit crime. They will no longer be engaged in criminal and fruitless activities. The Minister's proposal is highly commendable. Thank you. [Applause.]]
As the ANC we are saying that working together, we can do more to ensure that our correctional centres are secured by all these measures that the department, under the leadership of the Minister, has put in place. I thank you. [Applause.]
HON MEMBERS: Izwe lethu! [This is our country!]