Question NW2764 to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

Reply:

a) The following number of offenders were released per financial year:

Financial year: 2015/2016
Province	Sentence Expiry	Parole
EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE	1590	1733
FREE STATE PROVINCE	1656	1751
GAUTENG PROVINCE	3992	4371
KWAZULU/NATAL PROVINCE	3328	3847
LIMPOPO PROVINCE	328	334
MPUMALANGA PROVINCE	1042	1124
NORTH WEST PROVINCE	1110	1227
NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE	553	564
WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE	7483	7840

Financial year: 2016/2017
Province	Sentence Expiry	Parole
EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE	2059	2215
FREE STATE PROVINCE	1851	1947
GAUTENG PROVINCE	5192	5648
KWAZULU/NATAL PROVINCE	4377	4886
LIMPOPO PROVINCE	355	358
MPUMALANGA PROVINCE	1520	1621
NORTH WEST PROVINCE	1488	1617
NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE	871	882
WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE	10844	11232

Financial year: 2017/2018
Province	Sentence Expiry	Parole
EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE	1863	1962
FREE STATE PROVINCE	1761	1850
GAUTENG PROVINCE	5733	6230
KWAZULU/NATAL PROVINCE	4613	5135
LIMPOPO PROVINCE	342	343
MPUMALANGA PROVINCE	1405	1505
NORTH WEST PROVINCE	1773	1930
NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE	896	899
WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE	9592	9992

b) As at the expiration of the two (2) year transitional arrangements period since promulgation of the Criminal Law (Forensic Procedures) Amendment Act 37 of 2013 in January 2017, of the 114 709 Schedule 8 offenders in correctional centres then, a total of 43 717 sample reference numbers of such offenders were captured in the Admission and Release System of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS).

It should be noted that taking of samples and reporting on DNA samples taken, is the obligation of the South African Police Service (SAPS) as they also keep the source documents of samples taken, for among others, audit purposes.

Capturing of the Buccal Kit Sample Reference numbers by the DCS is for purpose of reporting offenders due for release to SAPS in order for their samples to be taken prior to release and to avoid subjecting offenders to the same procedure twice.