Question NW883 to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

Reply:

a) From 1 January 2018 to 27 March 2018, there are 487 convictions recorded in the National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO). However, to date, the total number of convictions recorded in the NRSO is 28 670.

b) The number of convictions recorded from 1 January 2018 to 27 March 2018 have been properly evaluated according to the required standards. The Department is in the process of reviewing all cases that were pending prior to 1 January 2018 at the Office of the Registrar to confirm the final court order.

As part of the review, the Department has also finalised the development of the new NRSO electronic system which will, upon implementation, lead to the achievement of the following functions:

1. Ability to issue Vetting & Removal Certificates;
2. Ability to scan the document’s Mandatory Fields Required from inception of processes;
3. Ability to communicate more effectively via the system between the office of the National Registrar for Sex Offenders and the courts;
4. Secure more reliable data synchronized with stakeholder Departments and stay in Sync via an integrated solution; and
5. Allow easier tracking of cases/applications.

c) At national office, there are six (6) officials currently allocated for the maintenance of the NRSO, namely: one (1) Registrar; one (1) Senior State Law Advisor, one (1) Assistant Director and three (3) Data Capturers.

d) None of the provincial education departments requested access from the NRSO in the past two years for the purposes of vetting educators before employment.

It is also important to note that the information on the Register can only be accessed by way of application in writing by the following category of persons:

1. Employers;
2. A relevant Authority in terms of section 48(1) of the Act;
3. An employee in respect of her own particulars;
4. A person applying for a license or approval to manage or operate any entity -section 47(2) of the Act;
5. A person applying to become a foster parent – section 48 (2); and
6. Any person applying in respect of his or her own particulars.

Should any provincial education department wish to ascertain whether or not the name of any teacher appear in the NRSO, it must apply in writing to the Registrar of the National Register for Sex Offenders for the prescribed certificate.

.