New Commissioner of Correctional Services and other senior appointments
A new Commissioner for Correctional Services, Mr Khulekani Sitole, was appointed on 4 December 1996 after the previous Commissioner, Mr Henk Bruyn, indicated that he wanted to retire.
Since then I have also made the following senior appointments:
These appointments in the top structure of the department, as well as many other senior appointments, have been monumental in transforming the department and I am proud of the new life and culture they have brought to the department.
Progress with affirmative action
The programme of affirmative action in Correctional Services is showing concrete results, not only on management levels, but also on all the other levels. The present composition of our staff compliment is as follows:
Management Board: blacks: 11 ; whites: 8
Other: blacks: 18 218 (62,06%); whites: 11 134 (37,93%)
We are also pleased to announce that we have experienced a dramatic decline in labour unrest in our department over the last months, our prison population is calm and content and the Department of Correctional Services is ready to face the many challenges and opportunities which the future holds.
New release and parole policy
Our proposed new release and parole policy is in the final stage of completion. Through this policy prisoners will serve a substantial part of their sentences before they can become eligible for parole. They will serve at least half their sentences, as opposed to one third at present. Our new release and parole policy will also ensure the judiciary's involvement in the release and parole process.
We hope to have it certified by the State Legal Advisor soon. It will then be submitted to Parliament for final endorsement.
I wish to reiterate that this new policy will have a major impact on criminality in South Africa and we are convinced that it will make a significant contribution towards our National Crime Prevention Strategy.
Re-drafting of the complete Correctional Services Act
The first draft of the proposed new Correctional Services Act has been completed by a drafting committee, chaired by Prof. Dirk van Zyl Smit, Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Cape Town. The main aim of this new act is to make it compatible with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and to ensure the removal of all discriminatory stipulations. The first draft has now been circulated to all relevant departments and other role players country wide and comments are also being invited through a notice in the Government Gazette.
It is envisaged that the final revised Correctional Services Act will be brought before Parliament during the first quarter of 1998.
Correctional Services' involvement in the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS)
The Department of Correctional Services is actively involved with the NCPS and we have launched various initiatives to support the government in its war on crime. The most important of these programmes are the following:
Progress with the electronic monitoring pilot project
The electronic monitoring of prisoners is still being tested in Pretoria and this pilot project, involving some 83 offenders, will run until the end of August 1997. Although it is too early to make a definite statement, preliminary feedback which I have received is quite positive.
No abscondance has occurred since the project was launched. One offender however tried to forcefully snap his bracelet but he was apprehended within a few minutes after his transmitter send warning signals to the host computer.
Closer to the end of the year we will know whether we will be officially introducing electronic monitoring in South Africa and I will make a public announcement at the appropriate time. Before we decide to proceed we will also consult with the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services.
Developments with the first Super Maximum Prison
During the beginning of this year I was accompanied by Mr Poot, the senior Architect from the Department of Public Works and Mr Mokotedi, the Civil Engineer from my department as well as Mr Ken Jacobs, my Director of Building Services, to go and investigate a Super Maximum Prototype in the United States.
We are more than ever convinced that South Africa needs a SMP because we have enough real hard core criminals who deserve to be locked up in a SMP. At this stage we are working on the blueprint for our own SMP and if everything goes according to plan, we will have a SMP in approximately 18 months.
Progress with the building of prisons
The building and maintenance of prisons in South Africa has been grossly neglected in the past. With our present building programme we are therefore not yet building new prisons to accommodate more prisoners. We are rather building and upgrading to catch up on the backlog and to properly accommodate those prisoners who are still kept in overcrowded conditions.
The following new prisons were commissioned recently:
Umzinto capacity 445 Victor Verster (Paarl)capacity 496 Brandvlei Youth Centrecapacity 348 Voorberg prison capacity 1 560 Ekuseni Youth Centre capacity 600
The following prisons will be upgraded soon with accommodation gain:
Rooigrond (Mafikeng) capacity 200 Pretoria Central capacity 557 Leeuwkop (Bryanston) capacity 380 Worcester capacity 66 George capacity 183 Groenpunt (Vereeniging)capacity 340 Christiana capacity 17 Caledon capacity 114 Buffeljagsrivier capacity 100
The following prisons are either planned or already under construction:
Goodwood capacity 1 692 Malmesbury capacity 972 Baviaanspoort capacity 640 Empangeni capacity 1 392 Pietermaritzburgcapacity 800
I am also pleased to announce that our 20 year building programme has been reduced to 5 years after consultation with the Department of Public Works. Also, the actual construction of a prison has been reduced from 30 months to about 18 months.
Inspecting Judge
The proposed Inspecting Judge for Correctional Services will be autonomous and will therefore function independently. The Office of the Inspecting Judge will also be in a position to investigate all matters related to prisoners and staff.
Judge Kumleben from the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court is at present assisting the department in finalizing the blueprint and legislation concerned with the creation of this post.
Anti-Corruption Unit for Correctional Services
The Department has nearly finalized the establishment of an Anti-Corruption Unit. Posts were advertised and suitable candidates were identified. Offers were made to the individuals and their responses are awaited. The Department is committed to honest, transparent and accountable administration.
CORRECTIONAL SERVICES PANELISTS AT THE MEDIA BRIEFING
1. Dr Sipo Mzimela : Minister 2 Mr Khulekani Sitole : Commisioner 3. Mr Steven Korabie : Chief Deputy Commissioner 4. Ms Langa Tseana : Provincial Commissioner: Eastern Cape 5. Ms Dorothy Makhuza : Commander: Baviaanspoort 6. Bert Slabbert : Ministerial Liaison Officer
ANNOUNCEMENT OF SENIOR PROMOTIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
It pleases the Minister of Correctional Services, Dr Sipo Mzimela to use this opportunity to announce the following senior promotions in the Department of Correctional Services.
Provincial Commissioner: Eastern Cape - Ms N F Tseana
Director Personnel Development: Head Office - Mr S A Tsetsane
Director of Inspectorate: Head Office - Mr A J C Venter
Commander: Victor Verster - Mr R E Marcus
Commander: Baviaanspoort - Mrs T D Makhuza
Commander: Pretoria - Mr Z K Monama
Commander: Johannesburg - Mr P S A Tshweu
Commander: Helderstroom - Mr A Pieterson
The Incumbents are congratulated and the Department wishes them well in their new positions.
Issued by the Ministry of Correctional Services, 13 February 1996 Enquiries: Bert Slabbert Tel: (021) 462 2314/5/6