Parties cut into prisons budget

The Department of Correctional Services spent R4.6-million on parties for officials and prisoners in the 2011-2012 financial year.

It also acknowledged that more than 4000 allegations of corruption, other criminality, and negligence have been levelled against its employees during the year.

In a written reply to parliamentary questions by DA MP James Selfe this month, Correctional Services Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said R3.7-million had been spent on the National Corrections Excellence Awards ceremony in East London.

Capitec Bank sponsored the prizes - amounting to just under R30000 - presented to the winning staff members.

Ndebele also said more than R900000 had been spent on 54 events across the country in August, Women's Month, this year.

"Both as inmates and offenders, women constitute a special category of our population. The unique needs of female inmates must be catered to. Female officials must also have equal opportunity in this historically male-dominated environment," he said.

Selfe said the money would be better spent on the department' s core mandate.

"The Department of Correctional Services appears to be more concerned with celebration than rehabilitation.

"Though we do not disagree that excellent performance should be acknowledged, and that Women's Month should be celebrated, the department should be ensuring that its core mandate receives priority."

In its 2011-2012 annual report, the department said it achieved 53% of its targets and received a qualified audit from the auditor-general.

According to the annual report, 4171 instances of misconduct by officials had been reported, 421 of which were considered serious.

As a consequence, 183 employees had been fired. Other cases were in the process of being resolved.

Correctional Services spokesman Logan Maistry said the spending was justified.

He said the funds for the Women's Day events equated to only 0.026% of the department's budget and had been approved through legislation.

With regard to the awards, he said they were presented annually to recognise officials who excelled.

"We have moved away from the legacy of the past, of serving solely as an instrument of retribution, to actively pursuing lasting solutions . by showing . that there are alternatives to a life of criminality and self-destruction."