Issued by: SA Communication Service
PRESS STATEMENT
We thank you for coming.
We have decided to call this press conference because, as the Department of Justice, we are deeply concerned about the turn of events over the last few days. We believe that this is a matter of public interest and therefore would like to apologise to the people of South Africa to whom we owe an undivided commitment but who now have to endure hardship and inconvenience. We want to assure them that we are doing everything within our means to have things returned to normality as speedily as possible.
We would also like to thank those legal, administrative and other personnel in the Department who have displayed, even during this time, great loyalty, commitment and love for their country by ensuring that nothing is said or done to undermine the effective functioning of our courts. You are our unsung heroes and heroines.
The decision to suspend overtime, which we would like to stress, applies to all officials in the Department and not only to prosecutors and state advocates, was not taken lightly. As early as September 1997 the Management of the Department expressed serious concerns about the rising levels of expenditure in respect of overtime and the apparent lack of proper control. These concerns were raised at the meeting of the Departmental Chamber in October 1997. On average the Department is paying out R4 million every month for overtime and this must be viewed against a budget of R28 million which originally was R5 million.
As of now, the Department has paid out R42,5 million in overtime claims. We have now reached a stage where we cannot continue paying for overtime. The budget for overtime has now been exhausted. The savings on vacancies enabled the Department to pay for overtime beyond the original budget of only R5 million.
The Department requested a special meeting of the Departmental Chamber on 13 January 1998 wherein we would have explained the financial position of the Department and to discuss ways of trying to resolve the problem. Unfortunately, the unions in the Chamber refused to give us a hearing, thus robbing Justice employees the opportunity of hearing an explanation.
The problem we are faced with is basically one of low salaries paid to public servants in general and to legal personnel (including prosecutors and state advocates) in particular. The efforts made by the Minister and the Department in this regard are well documented. However, we would like to mention the following:
(1) Prior to the formalisation of the new salary dispensation introduced during 1996 the Minister and the Department held a number of high level meetings with the Department of Public Service and Administration as well as the Department of Finance seeking ways of addressing the question of inadequate salaries. the matter remains unresolved but discussions are continuing.
(2) The Department is currently in a process of appointing a consultant to look at the question of appropriate and adequate salaries for legal personnel.
(3) The National Prosecuting Authority Bill which was approved by Cabinet late in 1997 and which is not before Parliament will go some way towards addressing the issue of salaries of prosecutors. We invite relevant staff associations to make inputs to the relevant portfolio committees so as to ensure that this legislation adequately covers their interests.
(4) The period affected by the non payment of overtime is only 14 January to 31 March 1998. We are, however, continuing with our efforts to secure additional funding so that we can continue paying overtime. Unfortunately, and regrettably so, we cannot at this stage commit ourselves to the continued payment of overtime for the mentioned period. We urge officials to continue working overtime and to keep a proper record thereof, if we are successful in our endeavours they can be paid. If not, we ask all officials of the Department to make a sacrifice in the service of our country and our people.
(5) In the next financial year overtime will again be paid.
(6) The current rate at which overtime is paid should be viewed as a temporary measure to alleviate the workload created by vacancies and escalation of the crime rate. We are not in the process of filling these vacancies.
(7) The Department has noted that the Attorneys-General and Magistrates did not receive any salary increment in this financial year and we would like to thank them for their understanding of the situation.
We therefore call on all our managers at Head Office, Regional Offices and in our Sub-Offices to manage this situation in a manner befitting their offices.
We further call on all officials of goodwill to uphold the values enshrined in our Constitution and to serve and respect the people of South Africa. The wheels of justice will not come off. We in the Department of Justice are committed to serving our people.
We request members of the public to report any disruption of services by contacting the Regional Heads of Justice in the following provinces:
- Eastern Cape Mr K M Nqadala 0431 421269 Cell. 082 4614241 - North West Ms N P Cetywayo 0140 875290 Cell. 083 3107033 - Mpumalanga Mr M D Mhlanga 013 7100244 Cell. 082 4594852 - Free State Mr K R Makola 051 4484292 Cell. 083 2732771 - Gauteng Mr P A du Rand 011 3310450 Cell. 082 6518527 - Northern Province Mr N M Rapetsoa 015 6335401 Cell. 083 32717316 - Western Cape Mr H M Mohamed 021 4623135 Cell. 082 4604298 - KwaZulu-Natal Mr M J Langenhoven 013 3015349 Cell. 082 4602668 - Northern Cape Mr R D Isaacs 0531 823524 Cell. 083 2613207
ISSUED BY THE COMMUNICATION SERVICES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
FURTHER ENQURIES: Mr V Pikoli, Deputy Director-General: Justice, Pretoria (012) 3151420.