Thanks, hon Chair and thanks, hon Minister. As a follow-up question, Minister, I think you are aware that section 12 of the Constitution of South Africa states that:
Everyone has the right to freedom and security of the person, which includes the right - a) not be deprived of freedom arbitrarily or without just cause;
b) or to be detained without trial.
This supposes the fundamental right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. Awaiting-trial detainees have not been found guilty of any crime, and the impact on their lives and families is immense. Many lose jobs and their families suffer while they languish behind bars for crimes which they may be acquitted for.
Now my follow-up question here is: What measures has the department put in place to ensure that the state does not arbitrarily violate the constitutional rights of citizens? Does the department have any cases where citizens are suing it for infringements relating to their stay in correctional facilities while awaiting trial? What are the conditions that such people raise? Thank you, hon Chair.