Sihlalo, kambe uthe singazikhulumi izilimi zethu, uthe masikhulume isiNgisi? [Chairperson, by the way, you said we must not speak our indigenous languages. Did you say we must speak English?]
Chairperson, Minister, Deputy Minister and hon members, the Department of Correctional Services has the primary responsibility of incarcerating criminal offenders, and the secondary, and in some sense greater, responsibility of rehabilitating those offenders so that at some future point they can go back to society as responsible and law-abiding citizens.
In order to accomplish these tasks successfully, the department requires strategic leadership and a goal-oriented approach to its various programmes and objectives. In essence, it requires a very competent leader with a no- nonsense and somewhat "business unusual" approach, able to deal successfully with the department's mandate.
The Minister is in a presidentially ordained position of ensuring an organised, efficient and competent department. We hope that the Minister will do it.
We know that in the past there have been instances of unauthorised expenditure and noncompliance with legislation. [Interjections.]
Wadlula phambi kwami ngikhuluma? [Uhleko.] [Why do you walk past me while I am speaking? [Laughter.]]
We know that in the past there have been instances of unauthorised expenditure and noncompliance with legislation caused by insufficient monitoring and guidance by the senior management from within the department. We trust that the Minister will not run the department in the casual manner of her predecessor, Mr Balfour, and that problems like these will be a thing of the past. [Interjections.]