Management of the SA Police Service (SAPS), particularly its forensic science laboratory (FSL) and the national forensic DNA database (NFDD) were slated by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police (PCP).
After presentations by the DNA Board, officially the National Forensic Oversight and Ethics Board; Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) Judge Charmaine Marshall and the Civilian Secretariat for Police, PCP chair Ian Cameron in a hard-hitting statement last month said that for public trust to be regained, all pillars in the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster (JCPS) must be functional.
As examples he quoted the cases of a 15-year-old rape victim in the Temba Magistrate’s Court postponed three times since November 2023 and that of Simbongile Mancotywa from Cofimvaba, murdered in May 2020, with the case postponed “countless times” due to DNA analysis delays. These, Cameron said are just two instanced highlighting the need for the DNA Board to enhance monitoring to ensure the FSL and NFDD are functional.
The Cameron statement further notes the DNA Board should not merely accept reports from the FSL and NFDD but should ensure congruency between what is reported and the lived experiences on the ground. “It is in this context the committee raised concerns that cases finalised outside standard timeframes increased from 55 681 for the 2022/23 financial year to 74 142 in the 2023/24 financial year, an increase of 24.90%. A strengthened oversight mandate will ensure such deficiencies are remedied timeously,” it reads in part.
Cameron’s committee plans a meeting to “look closely” at the effectiveness of the DNA Board. This will also see discussions on legislative change and consequence management.
Another concern is the lack of awareness campaigns by the DNA Board in the just ended financial year.
The lack of awareness of the Board’s mandate negatively affects its effectiveness and the implementation of the mandate. “It is unacceptable that budgetary constraints can be highlighted as a constraint because there are other effective measures that can be implemented to circumvent financial constraints. Despite this, the committee has welcomed assurances that the SAPS and Civilian Secretariat of Police have undertaken to include in their awareness campaigns the mandate of the DNA Board,” the statement has Cameron saying.
