In his maiden address as Minister of Corrections, Dr Pieter Groenewald denounced cuts to the corrections budget, calling instead for “strategic investment, innovative programme and commitment to justice and humanity.”

Highlighting the issues facing his department, such as overcrowding, deteriorating infrastructure, staff shortages and criminal syndicates, the Minister noted that new crime patterns posed a challenge. As for the department’s plan moving forward, the Minister identified a need to prioritise addressing areas of inefficiency and to root out corruption.

Emphasis was placed on the department’s role as a system “that not only corrects, but heals, educates, reintegrates and contributes to the eradication of crime.”

The Minister cited insufficient economic growth, the budget deficit and the government’s “unsustainable debt burden” as the causes of previous budget cuts. Nevertheless, he maintained that the department would have to accept this, saying “we will, and have to do, more with less.” According to the Minister, this would “require innovation, discipline and commitment.”

The most urgent priorities for the department would be effective contract management, followed by a reduction of outsourcing.  The department will increase the required training for staff, to ensure that staff will be able to effectively fulfill their tasks, with the necessary skills and equipment they need.

Speaking on the “profound impact” that parole had on communities, the Minister vowed that the parole system would be reviewed, calling for fairness and transparency. The Minister further noted that the cuts to the department’s budget had lead to reduced skills development and had a negative impact on the monitoring of parolees.

Regarding the standard for corrections, the Minister called for the universal application of the United Nations’ standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners and added that there should be no compromise on enforcing discipline. The Minister went on to reveal that action had been taken against 66 department officials, for reasons including fraud, corruption and maladministration, with the department’s investigative unit having completed 77% of the investigations.

As for the population of prisoners under the department’s care, the Minister noted there had been an increase of 9.7% in the previous year, with a total of 143,223 prisoners. Of these prisoners, 59,574 are currently unsentenced, awaiting their day in court.