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According to reports today, five senior officials are taking the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) to court on the grounds that they were denied promotions on the basis of race.

The Democratic Alliance supports the constitutional imperative to ensure that the public service is diverse and becomes broadly representative of the South African people. In giving effect to this Constitutional provision, the Employment Equity Act specifically provides for variations in appointments suitable to each of the nine provinces.

This is of particular importance in the DCS, which is responsible for rehabilitating and reintegrating offenders. For the DCS to properly carry out these functions, staff working in correctional services facilities must be able to communicate and interact effectively with inmates.

Therefore, in terms of law and practice, it makes sense for the Department to take note of the requests made by the relevant five officials concerned, and to settle this matter in an amicable manner in terms of the staff and inmates concerned.