Correctional Services Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report

Meeting report

Apologies from Mr V Ndlovu (IFP) and Ms F Nyanda (ANC) were noted.

Correctional Services Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report (BRRR)
The Chairperson tabled the draft Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report for consideration.

A few technical amendments were made by members and thereafter more attention was given to content.

Mr J Selfe (DA) recommended that the section which read: “Alarmingly the DCS did not set any targets for the vetting of officials: only 6.15% of officials were vetted in the year under review. The DCS’ explanations for the slow pace of vetting are unconvincing, and inspire little faith that security clearance will in future enjoy priority” needed to be amended as the Department had set targets, however the Committee’s concern was that the targets set were too low.

The Chairperson agreed and recommended that the section be amended accordingly.

Mr Selfe said that the Department had failed to provide adequate information concerning the sustainability of the various pre-release programmes and centres. The recommendation, in addition, should be that the Department should provide not only quality and sustainability but also the effectiveness of the programs and centres.

Mr Selfe further highlighted concern on the number of pre-releases provided by the Department.

Mr Selfe referred to section with Information Technology and noted that there was a need for an additional sentence providing the total amount that the Department was spending on consultants as this would make a stronger case for the Committee’s Recommendations.

Mr Selfe noted that one of the agreements of the Committee was that the Department identified wasteful expenditure and provide a report, the following should be added in the report:
”The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) should, by 23 November 2011, submit a report detailing how much of what had over the past five years been spent on IT, amounted to fruitless and wasteful expenditure”.

Mr Selfe noted that given the large number of people that were criminally charged for serious offences very few of them had been dismissed and noted that it was the Committee’s view that the sanctions of the Correctional Services Departmental Investigating Unit (DIU) did not match the seriousness of the issues they dealt with.

Mr V Magagula (ANC) moved for, and Mr Selfe seconded the adoption of the report with amendments.

It was agreed that the Committee Secretary would capture amendments and the Chairperson would approve the final version of the report which would then be submitted for publication.

The meeting was adjourned.