Chairperson, there are many components to prison self- sufficiency and various stakeholders have alluded to this. The judicial inspectorate's annual report of 2009-10 highlighted it as follows:
Achieving self-sufficiency necessitates the setting up of correctional centre industries, farms, factories and the like. Business principles are concerned with continued improved production through innovation, reduction in cost and waste and creating value.
During the 2010-11 financial year the Department of Correctional Services paid the private catering group R282,7 million to provide meals for 54 274 inmates in eight management areas. Twenty-eight centres are contracted for the supply of meals to the same group and an additional total of R366 million was paid in the same year for the procurement of perishables for other centres.
There are 12 broiler and egg layer units and six batteries operated by the Department of Correctional Services across the country. In addition, there are 39 steel, woodwork and textile workshops across the country. Many of them are not fully operational or functional.
The number of inmates involved in these activities leaves much to be desired. The judicial inspectorate reported that during an audit it was found that between 10% to 15% of sentenced inmates were engaged in regular work or in a rehabilitation programme with prison workshops and agricultural activity being unacceptably underutilised.
In a scenario where inmates are willing and able to engage in regular and productive activity, the department ought to show improvement in utilising the human resources available before considering the outsourcing in its entirety of the supply of food to inmates.
Chairperson, I just want to respond to some of my colleagues who have spoken here today. The hon member Selfe referred to the problem with regard to further broiler houses to be built which has not been sanctioned etc, etc and etc. But in doing so he also referred to the Minister's trips overseas. The Minister is a Minister of state and she has to represent her country overseas. But the hon member Selfe also spoke ...
... van al die slaggate. Ek wil hom net waarsku dat Korrektiewe Dienste 'n helse groot slaggat is. Ek hoop nie hy val daarin nie! [Gelag.] [... of all the potholes. I just want to warn him that Correctional Services is an enormous pothole. I hope he does not fall into it! [Laughter.]]
Chairperson, regarding the use of inmate labour, I give 100% support to Baba Ndlovu. We've got to extend that. We've got to do more about it.
My good old friend, the Advocate Max ...
... wragtig, met die manier waarop hy vandag gepraat het, het ek gedink hy is nog die LUR van Gemeenskapsveiligheid in Kaapland! [Gelag.] Dankie, Voorsitter. [Tyd verstreke.] [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[... really, given the manner in which he spoke today I thought he was still the MEC for Community Safety in the Western Cape! [Laughter.] Thank you, Chairperson. [Time expired.] [Applause.]]