Ke a leboha Modulasetulo, Letona le kgabane, mokomishenara le moifo wa hae, Ditho tse kgabane tsa Palamente.
Tsamaiso ya Ditshebeletso tsa Tshokollo ya Batshwaruwa ya Afrika Borwa e tswa hole ka sebele hore e be mothating ona oo e leng ho ona. Ho bile le nako e ka bang ngwahakgolo moo ho neng ho tsepamisitswe maikutlo polokehong le tshireletsong, ha tlhabollo le ditokelo tsa botho tsona di ne di sa nkelwe hloohong.
Ka dilemolemo tlwaelo ya dikgoka e ne e jele setsi mekgatlong le tlwaelo ya bosiyo ba ponaletso ditsing tsa tshokollo e ne e kgothaletswa ka mehato e jwaloka thibelo e matla ho tlalehweng ha ditaba tse amanang le diphatlalatso tsa ditshwantsho tse bontshang ditsi tsa tshokollo kapa batshwaruwa. Haesale ho tloha mathwasong a mongwahakgolo batsamaisi ba dubana le tshubuhlellano e bakwang ke mabaka a fapaneng.
Ntlheng ena Tokomane ya Tokoloho e re:
Ho hlahlelwa ho tla etswa feela ditlolong tse mpe-mpe kgahlanong le batho, ka sepheo sa ho ruta botjha eseng boiphethetso.
Tshokollo e batsi ho feta thibelo ya ditlolo tsa molao, ebile e akaretsa diphephetso tse ding tsa setjhaba jwaloka tlhokeho ya botsitso malapeng a Afrika Borwa; tsoseletso ya boitshwaro bo botle; phokotso ya bofuma; le ntshetsopele tsa moshwelella jwalokaha tokomane ya Lewa le Mano ya ANC e hlalosa serapeng sa 217:
Ntwa kgahlanong le ditlolo tsa molao e keke ya arohanngwa le ntwa ya ho hloka.
Tshokollo ke sephetho sa tshebetso e kopanyang tshokollo ya boitshwaro bo bobe; tlhabollo ya batho; le kgothaletso ya boikarabelo le boitshwaro bo botle setjhabeng. Ke sephetho se labalabelwang sa tshebetso e kenyeletsang boikarabelo ba mafapha a mmuso le ba setjhaba.
Tlhabollo ha e a tshwanela ho nkuwa e le lewa la thibelo ya botlokotsebe feela, empa e le ketsahalo e phethahetseng e akgang le ho kgothaletsa boikarabelo; toka setjhabeng; seabo mesebetsing ya demokrasi; matlafatso ka boitsebelo ba bophelo le ba dintho tse ding; le ho kenya letsoho hore Afrika Borwa e be naha e ntle ho dula ho yona.
Tlhabollo ka hara lefapha e lokela ho kenyeletsa thero e phethahetseng ya dikahlolo e shebanang le batshwaruwa maemong ohle - a phedisano; boitshwaro; moyeng; mmeleng; mosebetsing; ntshetsopele thutong ya bona. E itshetlehile tumelong ya hore motho e mong le e mong a ka fetoha ha a fuwa disebediswa le monyetla. A mang a maikemisetso a Lefapha la Ditshebeletso tsa Tshokollo ya Batshwaruwa ke hore motshwaruwa ka mong a ntlafatse tsebo ya hae ya ho bala, ho ngola, thuto le bokgoni.
Le hoja ba bang ba ka ingamangama ka hore palo ena e dula e fokola, seo ha se hanane le ntlha ya hore ho ella mafelong a Lwetse selemong se fetileng, 2011, batshwaruwa ba 4 301 ba tshwanetseng ba ne ba le sehlopheng sa mananeo a bokgoni mme kahoo re re lefapheng, re a tseba le ka etsa haholwanyane. Re dumela hore ho sebetsa ha batshwaruwa ho hlokolotsi tlhabollong kahoo re ipiletsa lefapheng ho tsetela haholwanyane dikopanong tsa dipuisano-boithuto tsa tlhahiso le temo.
Ho ya ka karolo ya 35(2)(e) ya Molaotheo:
E mong le e mong ya ditlamong, ho akga le batshwaruwa bohle ba seng ba ahlotswe, o na le tokelo maemong a tshwaro a nyalanang le seriti sa botho, ho kenyeleditswe le boithapollo le phano ya bodulo bo phethahetseng, phepo, disebediswa tsa ho balwa le kalafo tse lefellwang ke mmuso.
Lefapha le tlameha ho fana ka bophelo bo botle le tshireletso batshwaruweng ka hore, ho tse ding, ho be le tikoloho e bolokehileng ebile e sireletsehile. Batshwaruwa ba itshetlehile Lefapheng la Ditshebeletso tsa Tshokollo ya Batshwaruwa bakeng sa polokeho ya bona kaha ba kotelwa tokolohong ya boikgethelo, tokoloho ya boikamahanyo le ya motsamao.
Polokeho ya batshwaruwa e tlamella lefapha ho sebetsana le taba ya dihlopha tsa dinokwane ka botlalo ditsing tsa tshokollo. Dihlopha tsa dinokwane ebile phephetso tsamaisong ya tshokollo ya batshwaruwa Afrika Borwa nakong ya ngwahakgolo e fetileng. Boteng ba dihlopha tsa dinokwane bo na le sefutho sa dikgoka tse thunthetsang polokeho ya batshwaruwa ba bang ditsing tsa tshokollo. Di iponahatsa ka mekgwa e fapaneng, jwaloka dintwa tse tshehetswang ke dihlopha tsa dinokwane, tlatlapo le phenetho, thobalano ka sheshe kapa peto; ditshoso le melemo e leeme, le ho iphapanya ha bahlanka ba tshokollo ya batshwaruwa malebana le diketsahalo tsena. Jwaloka mohlala wa sena Bohlahlobi ba Boahlodi ba Ditsi tsa Tshokollo bo tlaleha hore Fauresmith kwana mohla la 25 Pherekgong 2012, motshwaruwa o ile a betwa ka pela batshwaruwa ba bang.
Se ngongorehisang le ho feta ke hore bao ba nang le boikarabelo ba motshwaruwa ba thunthetsa ditokelo tsa batshwaruwa tsa sephiri sa mebele ya bona jwalokaha ho etsahetse ho ya ka tlaleho ya Bohlahlobi ba Boahlodi ba Ditsi tsa Tshokollo ya Johannesburg Medium-A ka la 15 Hlakola 2012 moo motshwaruwa a ileng a laelwa ho hlobola hore balebedi ba kgone ho mo phopholetsa.
Ho kwallwa ka bo ona ho ka ba le tshenyo e kgolo mmeleng le kelellong ya motshwaruwa. Kahoo, bao ba fanang ka tlhokomelo ya bophelo bo botle ba batshwaruwa ba tshwanela ho rupellwa ditlhokong tse totobetseng le mathata a bophelo bo botle tikolohong ya tjhankaneng. Boikarabelo ba lefapha ha se ho fana ka tlhokomelo ya bophelo bo botle feela, empa le ho etsa maemo a kgothaletsang bophelo bo botle ba batshwaruwa le bahlanka ba tshokollo. Ho beha bophelo bo botle ba batshwaruwa ka sehloohong ho hloka kutlwisiso ya hore Afrika Borwa ke naha eo maemo a phedisano-thuo a tswalang mafu a mangata a tshwaetsang. HIV le AIDS, mafu a mang a tshwaetsang a kang Lefuba, le ditshwaetso tsa motabo a tshwanela ho ba karolo ya phano ya ditshebeletso tse phethahetseng tsa bophelo bo botle le thuto ya bophelo bo botle batshwaruweng. Lefapha le tshwanela ho shebana le mananeo a ho fokotsa kgahlamelo ya HIV/AIDS le mafu a mang a tshwaetsang hore batshwaruwa ba tswe ditjhankaneng ba phetse hantle. Lefapha selemong sa 2011-12 le abile di-ARV ho batshwaruwa ba 6 095 hodima ba 8 819 ba nang le CD4 Count e katlase ho 350. Pehelo ena ha e a fihlellwa ka mabaka a akgang hore ba bang ba batshwaruwa ba hanne ho sebedisa di-ARV.
Tshubuhlellano e ntse e le qholotso ditjhankaneng mme e tswela pele ho thibela tshokollo ya batshwaruwa le ho ikamahanya le tlameho ya ho netefatsa maemo a botho ditjhankaneng. Leha ho le jwalo re tshwanela ho ananela hore lefapha le fihletse pehelo ya lona ya 36% tshubuhlellanong ka ho e boloka e le ho 35,95%.
Lefapha le ne le ipehetse hore bonyane ho be le diphonyoho tse nne ho batshwaruwa ba 10 000, e leng pehelo eo Lefapha le hlolehileng ho e fihlella hobane ho phonyohile batshwaruwa ba supileng ho ba 10 000. Lebaka la phonyoho ho ya ka tlaleho ya selemo ke hore phonyoho ya batshwaruwa ba bangata e bakilwe ke bohlaswa le ho se ikamahanye le mekgwa ya tshireletso ke basebetsi. Leha ho le jwalo ho a kgothatsa hore lefapha le motjheng wa ho ntlafatsa mehato ya tshireletso le taolo ya baokamedi.
Ho ya ka lefapha, pehelo ya lona e ne e le ho tlatsa dikgeo tse 1 476 tse ne se di abetswe tjhelete selemong sa ditjhelete sa 2011-2012. Ho a kgothatsa ho hlokomela hore Lefapha le a tseba hore ha re a shebana feela le bosiyo bo totileng ba mesebetsi empa ho thewa ha mesebetsi e metle le maphelo a tsitsitseng ke tse ding tsa dintho tsa rona tse ka sehloohong. Lefapha le fihlelletse sepheo sena mme le hirile batho ba 2 057 dikgeong tse fapaneng tsa mesebetsi selemong se fetileng sa ditjhelete.
Ho ya ka tokomane ya ketsamolao, White Paper, ka tshokoloho:
Sepheo, mesebetsi le ditshebeletso tsa lefapha di bua ka tshireletso hammoho le boikarabelo setjhabeng ... Mosebetsi wa lefapha wa sehlooho ke tlhabollo ka tshokoloho le kaho ya boitshwaro tlasa moralo o sireletsehileng, o bolokehileng o bileng o na le botho.
Ha ke phethela, re lebohisa Lefapha ka Tokollo ya Batshwaruwa ba neng ba itshwere hantle ba bileng lenaneng la phatlalatso eo e ileng ya etsuwa ke Mopresidente wa naha. Re tshepa hore ba keke ba phoqa Mopresidente ka hore ba iphumane ba kgutletse tjhankaneng hape ka mora nakonyana. Komiti ya Tshebetso ya Polokeho le Tshireletso e tshehetsa ditekanyetso tsena. Ke a leboha! [Mahofi.] (Translation of Sesotho speech follows.)
[Mr T M H MOFOKENG: Thank you, Chairperson, hon Minister, the national commissioner and his entourage, and hon Members of Parliament.
The system of Correctional Services in South Africa has come a long way indeed, to where it is currently. There was almost a century in which the focus was on safety and security, while rehabilitation and human rights were ignored.
For years the culture of violence was prevalent in institutions and the culture of a lack of transparency at correctional centres was promoted through measures such as stringent restrictions on reporting matters relating to the publication of photographs showing correctional centres or inmates. Since the beginning of the century administrators have been struggling to deal with overcrowding that is caused by various factors.
In this context the Freedom Charter says: Imprisonment shall be only for serious crimes against the people, and shall aim at re-education, not vengeance.
Corrective measures transcend the prevention of criminal offences; they also include other social challenges such as lack of stability in South African families, moral regeneration, poverty alleviation, and sustainable growth, as the ANC document on Strategy and Tactics explains in paragraph 217:
... the battle against crime cannot be separated from the war on want.
Rehabilitation is the result of collaborative initiative, which brings together improvement of human behaviour, rehabilitation of human beings, and the promotion of social responsibility and good behaviour. It is the desired effect which includes responsibility in government departments and the nation.
Rehabilitation should not be regarded as a strategy only to prevent crime, but as a total act which includes and promotes responsibility, social justice, participation in democratic activities, empowerment in regard to life skills and other issues, and playing a part in making South Africa a better place to live in.
Rehabilitation within the department should include proper planning in regard to sentences, which considers offenders at all levels - social, moral, spiritual, physical, at work, and in educational development. It is based on the belief that everyone can transform if given the resources and opportunity. One of the intentions of the Department of Correctional Services is that each prisoner should improve his or her knowledge and skills in literacy.
While some would argue that the numbers remain low, that does not exclude the fact that towards the end of September last year, 2011, 4 301 eligible prisoners were involved in skills development programmes and we therefore say to the department that we know they can do more. We believe that for prisoners to work is critical for rehabilitation, and we therefore appeal to the department to invest more in production workshops and agriculture.
According to section 35(2)(e) of the Constitution:
Everyone who is detained, including every sentenced prisoner, has the right -
(e) to conditions of detention that are consistent with human dignity, including at least exercise and the provision, at state expense, of adequate accommodation, nutrition, reading material and medical treatment ...
The department is obliged to provide health care and security for prisoners through, amongst others, creating a safe and secure environment. Prisoners depend on the Department of Correctional Services for their safety because they have been deprived of the freedom of choice, and freedom of association and movement.
The safety of prisoners compels the department to fully address the issue of gangs in correctional centres. Gangs have been a great challenge in the administration of correctional services in the past century in South Africa. The presence of gangs has the violent power to endanger the safety of other prisoners in correctional centres. It manifests in different ways, like gang fights, assault and brutal killings, forced sexual activity or rape, and intimidation and unfair favours, as well as the turning of a blind eye by officials of Correctional Services towards these actions. For example, the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services reports that at Fauresmith, on 25 January 2011, an inmate was raped in front of other inmates.
The main concern is that those who are charged with the responsibility of taking care of prisoners are the ones who violate their rights to bodily integrity, as happened, according to a report of the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services, at the Johannesburg Medium A Prison on 15 February 2012, where a prisoner was instructed to take off his clothes so that the prison warders could search him.
Imprisonment in itself can cause serious physical and mental harm to the prisoners. Therefore, those who offer health care for the prisoners should be trained in specific health needs and problems in the prison environment. The responsibility of the department is not only to provide health care, but also to create a conducive environment for healthy living for prisoners and correctional officials.
In order to prioritise prisoners' health, there needs to be an understanding that South Africa is a country whose socioeconomic environment gives rise to a high prevalence of infectious diseases. HIV and Aids, other infectious diseases like tuberculosis, and sexually transmitted infections should be part of the provision of comprehensive health care services and health education for prisoners. The department should look into programmes that seek to reduce infection with HIV/Aids and other infectious diseases so that prisoners leave the system as healthy as possible. During 2011-12 the department distributed ARVs to 6 095 prisoners out of 8 819 with a CD4 count of less than 350. The target could not be met due to reasons including the refusal to use ARVs by some prisoners.
Overcrowding is still a challenge in our prisons and it continues to hamper rehabilitation of offenders, as well as adhering to the obligation to ensure humane conditions in prisons. However, we should acknowledge the fact that the department has met its 36% target in regard to overcrowding by keeping it at 35,95%. The department had set a target of at most four escapes per 10 000 prisoners, which it failed to meet because there were seven escapes per 10 000 prisoners. According to the Annual Report, the cause of escapes is negligence and staff members not adhering to security procedures. However, it is encouraging that the department is on the right track in improving security measures and control by managers.
According to the department, its target was to fill 1 476 funded vacancies during the 2011-12 financial year. It is encouraging to note that the department is conscious of the fact that we are not only concerned about the high unemployment rate but we also prioritise creating decent jobs and sustainable livelihoods. The department reached this target and employed 2 057 people to fill different vacant posts in the past financial year.
According to the legislative document, the White Paper on Corrections:
... the objective, functions and services of the department speak to both a security as well as a social responsibility ... the department's core business as rehabilitation through correction and humane development within a secure, safe and humane framework ...
In conclusion, we commend the department for releasing prisoners who showed good behaviour and who appeared on the list that was issued by the President of the country. We trust that they will not disappoint the President by returning to prison within a short space of time. The Select Committee on Safety and Security supports this budget. Thank you! [Applause.]]