Chairperson, hon Deputy Ministers, hon colleagues, hon guests, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and the Department of Correctional Services are very important pillars in our fight against crime in the country.
I believe, as I have said on previous occasions, that the systems are in place. However, in both these departments it is the implementation that is not realised. This is due to bad management and a lack of responsibility and discipline.
Ons aanvaar dat ons regstelsel heeltemal onafhanklik moet wees en streng net volgens die Grondwet en landswette moet optree. Ons glo dat 'n onafhanklike regstelsel die Grondwet en die demokrasie van 'n land beskerm en bewaar. Ons is trots op ons Grondwet, maar dan moet die regstelsel en die politiek geskei wees.
Ons is egter bekommerd as ons na die aanstellingsprosedure van die topbeklers van sekere poste kyk. Die Pikoli-drama, asook die ondersoeke rondom regter Hlophe, plaas 'n vraagteken op die stelsel. Beide hierdie gevalle was nie opbouend vir ons regstelsel en regering nie. Ons glo daar is te veel mag in die hande van politici - en veral die regerende party - by hierdie aanstellings.
Daar moet gesoek word of gepoog word om hierdie aanstellingsprosedure te hersien. Ons eer en respekteer ons regters-president, ons hoofregter en al die regters van die verskillende howe en wil hulle beskerm teen enige bewerings wat hulle onafhanklikheid en integriteit aantas. Hulle is die bewakers en bewaarders van ons land se mense.
In ons laer howe glo ons die groot probleem is vertragings. Sake word verskeie kere uitgestel om 'n wye verskeidenheid van redes. Soms is die getuienis deurmekaar of soms ontbreek sekere belangrike dele; of soms blyk dit net laksheid en nalatigheid te wees. Dit is opvallend dat effektiwiteit, produktiwiteit en verantwoordelikheid ontbreek.
Die Departement van Justisieen Staatkundige Ontwikkeling se taak is om aan almal 'n regverdige verhoor te verseker en seker te maak dat misdadigers gestraf word.
Dit is dus om dissipline in die land te verseker, maar hier skiet ons stelsel ver te kort en word die menseregte van misdadigers te hoog aangeslaan. Te veel sake word teruggetrek as gevolg van tegniese foute en die misdadigers loop vry. Daar sal maniere gevind moet word om die agterstand van die howe en die onnodige vertragings uit te skakel, andersins beweeg ons na 'n sfeer van totale wanorde.
Die Departement van Korrektiewe Dienste is daar om die vonnisse, opgel deur die howe, uit te voer. Beteken dit dan dat misdadigers opgesluit word vir 'n tydperk en dan weer losgelaat word om maar weer te gaan oortree? Toestande is haglik en geleenthede word gegee om te beplan vir die volgende misdaad. Ons het 'n oorbevolking van 139,747%! Gevonnisde gevangenes was 114 282 en verhoorafwagtenes 50 511 op 31 Maart 2010.
Ons glo dat daar te veel klem gel word op straf en dat die departement 'n klemverskuiwing moet ondergaan na rehabilitasie. Daar moet geleenthede geskep word vir gevangenes om opleiding te ontvang, sodat hulle toegerus kan word om 'n beroep te gaan beoefen as hulle hul straf voltooi het. Hy of sy moet 'n geleentheid gegun word om hom of haar te rehabiliteer.
Hier word met mense gewerk; mense met persoonlikhede en gedragspatrone wat gewoonlik baie deurmekaar is.
Daar moet aandag gegee word aan hoe hierdie mense die probleme en uitdagings van die lewe kan hanteer en hulle moet geleer word wat bring werklik geluk en vrede in jou lewe. Ons moet die getal mense wat misdaad as 'n lewenswyse sien, verminder en probeer om hulle effektiewe, ekonomies onafhanklike burgers te maak.
Die koste om hierdie instellings aan te hou, is ook baie hoog. Dit beloop meer as R40 miljoen per dag. Daar is so baie ander behoeftes wat aangespreek kan word. Gevangenes kan arbeid verrig en 'n bydrae maak tot die land se ekonomie.
Die taak van die amptenare is grotesk. Dankie vir die werklik verantwoordelike amptenare wat hierdie uiters ondankbare werk verrig. Die departement het egter ook amptenare aan die anderkant wat floreer uit al die bendebedrywighede. Hierdie oorheersing deur bendes van die gesag in die instellings, is seker die enkel grootste probleem wat uitgeroei moet word. Daar moet maniere gevind word om hierdie mag van bendes te breek.
As ons na die Witskrif op Korrektiewe Dienste van 2005 kyk, dan het ons 'n uitstekende plan wat toegepas en uitgevoer moet word, maar ongelukkig word dit nie effektief gedoen nie. Dit is ook 'n groot bekommernis dat die departement verskeie gekwalifiseerde ouditverslae oor die afgelope jare ontvang het. Tydens hulle voorlegging aan die komitee, was omtrent al die amptenare waarnemend. Daar moet dus foute in die toepassing van die stelsels wees. Die rol wat Justisie en Staatkundige Ontwikkeling en Korrektiewe Dienste speel in ons stryd teen misdaad, is fenomenaal. Korrektiewe Dienste moet puik funksioneer as ons misdaad in hierdie land wil beheer. Ek dank u. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[We acknowledge that our legal system must be completely independent and must act strictly in accordance with the Constitution and laws of the country. We believe that an independent legal system will protect and preserve the Constitution and the democracy of a country. We are proud of our Constitution, but then the justice system and the political system should be separated.
However, we are concerned when we look at the appointment procedure of the top incumbents of certain posts. The Pikoli drama, as well as the investigations around Judge Hlophe, raise some concerns about the system. Both these cases were not constructive to our legal system and government. We believe that too much power is concentrated in the hands of politicians - especially the ruling party - with regard to these appointments.
We have to look at or attempt to review this appointment procedure. We honour and respect our judge president, our chief justice and all the judges of the different courts, and we want to protect them against any allegations that may infringe upon their independence and integrity. They are the guardians and custodians of the people of our country.
With regard to our lower courts, we believe delays to be the major problem. Cases are postponed numerous times due to a variety of reasons. Sometimes the evidence is unclear or certain important pieces have been omitted; at other times it appears to be due to slackness and negligence. It is obvious that there is a shortcoming with regard to efficiency, productivity and responsibility.
The task of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development is to guarantee everyone a fair trial and to make sure that criminals are punished. It is therefore to ensure discipline in the country but here our system has many shortcomings and too much value is placed on the human rights of criminals. Too many cases are withdrawn due to technical mistakes, and the criminals walk free. Ways will have to be found to eliminate the backlog in the courts and the unnecessary delays, otherwise we will be moving towards a sphere of total chaos.
The task of the Department of Correctional Services is to execute the sentences that the courts have imposed. Does that then mean that criminals are locked up for a period and are then freed in order to transgress again? Conditions are terrible and opportunities arise to plan the next crime. We have an overpopulation of 139,747%! As at 31 March 2010 sentenced prisoners totalled 114 282 and awaiting-trial prisoners totalled to 50 511.
We believe that too much emphasis is placed on punishment and that the department needs to undergo a shift in emphasis to rehabilitation. Opportunities must be created for prisoners to receive training, in order for them to be able to ply a trade, once they have served their sentence. He or she must be given an opportunity to rehabilitate themselves.
Here we are working with people; people with personalities and behavioural patterns that are not usually clear-cut.
Attention must be given to how these people can handle the problems and challenges of life, and they must be taught what brings actual happiness and peace in their lives. We have to reduce the number of people who see crime as a way of life and try to make them efficient, economically independent citizens.
The cost to sustain these institutions is also very high. It amounts to more than R40 million per day. Many other needs also have to be addressed. Prisoners can provide labour and in that way contribute to the economy of the country.
The task of the officials is grotesque. Thank you to the truly responsible officials who do this very thankless work. On the other hand, the department also has officials who flourish due to all the gang activities. This domination by gangs of authority in institutions is certainly the biggest single problem that needs to be eliminated. Ways will have to be found to break this power that gangs have.
If we look at the White Paper on Correctional Services of 2005, we have a brilliant plan that we can institute and implement, but unfortunately this has not been done effectively. It is also of great concern that the department has received various qualified audit reports over the last couple of years. During their submission to the committee, nearly all the officials there were in an acting capacity.
There have to therefore be mistakes in the implementation of the systems. The Departments of Justice and Constitutional Development and Correctional Services play a phenomenal role in our fight against crime. Correctional Services has to function brilliantly if we want to control crime in this country. I thank you. [Applause.]]