Issued by: Office of the Deputy President
The suggestion contained in the media today, Thursday 28 October, that the state is considering chemical castration of repeate sexual offenders is without substance and misleading. No such proposal has been tabled for the government's consideration.
What Deputy President Jacob Zuma indicated was that the South African Law Commission, acting within its jurisdiction is investigating stiffer sentences for repeate sexual offenders. In pursuance thereof, the Law Commission is considering all relevant aspects pertaining to sexual offences and appropriate sentences within the human rights context. One of the issues, the Commission is investigating the human rights implications and feasibility of chemically castrating repeate sexual offenders.
The Law Commission has not made any recommendation thus far regarding the possible castration of repeate sexual offenders as claimed in the media. It is therefore wholly incorrect to suggest that the Government is considering the castration of repeate sexual offenders when no such proposal has yet been tabled by the Law Commission.
The defining feature of our constitutional democracy is a strict adherence to the rule of law and a commitment to human rights. The government expresses its confidence that the Law Commission, as part of its investigation into all relevant aspects relating to sexual offences and sentences, will make recommendations in line with the letter and spirit of our constitution.
The government remains committed to zero-tolerance of sexual offenders and will ruthlessly deal with this scourge through long sentences of imprisonment. This was clearly expressed by the Deputy President in that all components of the criminal justice systems, in co-ordination with each other, are undertaking to ensure that perpetrators face the full might of the law.
For more information contact Ronnie Mamoepa at 082-990-4853
Issued by the Office of the Presidency
Office of Deputy President Jacob Zuma
P/Bag X1000
Pretoria
0001
28 October 1999