Latest news with #PieterGroenewald
News24
3 days ago
- General
- News24
‘I have never lied'- Groenewald tells Parliament over 3 ‘vanished' juvenile offenders
Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald denied misleading Parliament about three juvenile offenders who disappeared from the prison system. He appeared before Parliament's Select Committee on Security and Justice to address concerns raised in a recent report. DA MP Nicholas Gotsell accused Groenewald of being misled by officials and attempting to shift blame to the provincial Department of Social Development. Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald has insisted he did not mislead Parliament about the whereabouts of three violent juvenile offenders who vanished from the prison system. Groenewald appeared before Parliament's Select Committee on Security and Justice on Tuesday morning, where the Department of Correctional Services briefed MPs on its response to the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS) 2023/24 Annual Report. However, under mounting pressure, Groenewald faced tough questions from MPs regarding the three juveniles who were meant to be transferred to Pollsmoor Prison in 2024 but were unaccounted for during a recent oversight visit. DA MP Nicholas Gotsell has been leading the charge for answers. 'We reject the statement by minister Groenewald, who continues to deny his department's role in the disappearance of three convicted criminals from custody. It is clear the minister is being misled by officials desperate to cover up a shocking administrative failure that endangered public safety,' he said. READ | Blame game erupts over 3 violent juvenile offenders who vanished from system Gotsell added that Groenewald's attempt to shift blame to the provincial Department of Social Development was disingenuous. 'That department has no role in custodial decisions, warrants, or the implementation of court orders. Those responsibilities fall squarely on Correctional Services and the courts, as clearly set out in the court order,' he said. During the briefing, Groenewald maintained that he had relied on information provided by departmental officials. 'I did say they are in Pollsmoor, and I said there that I am responding to the information I received from the officials. Yes, it appears they were not there, and I said I would investigate the matter. If this information was given to me, there would be consequences,' he said. Groenewald said he welcomed accountability and scrutiny. 'I am open to criticism. I encourage members to come forward with problems in our facilities. I see honourable members as the public's eyes and ears. I have never lied to Parliament. I never misled, and if people are going to use problems for a political agenda, then I won't play along. The minister added that both the Horizon Youth Centre and the Western Cape MEC for Social Development, Jaco Londt, should also be called to account. 'I want to reiterate that the Horizon Centre for the Youth is part of this situation. I am willing to appear here, and we also need to get the MEC here. We should not blame the shift because it's a problem between Horizon, the police, and the correctional services. 'We have a responsibility to protect communities. Of course, it's totally unacceptable that you have dangerous offenders who slip through the system,' he told the committee. Last week, News24 reported that three juvenile offenders - convicted of murder, rape, and robbery - had disappeared from the prison system. All three, who are turning 20 this year, committed their crimes while underage. The first was convicted of rape and was facing two additional assault charges. The second was convicted of murder, and the third of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances. READ | Thabo Bester's escape casts doubt on whether private prisons are superior, says Groenewald They had been detained at the Horizon Child and Youth Care Centre in Eerste River between 2021 and 2024, sentenced under the Child Justice Act. After turning 18, they were supposed to appear in court for formal transfer into adult correctional facilities - but this never happened. News24 understands that the circumstances of their release remain unclear. Two of the three have since been rearrested. In 2023, the trio attacked four staff members at the juvenile facility, stabbing and assaulting them. Following the incident, the Western Cape Department of Social Development refused to continue housing them, and they were to be transferred to Pollsmoor Prison in July 2024. However, during an oversight visit, Pollsmoor officials were unable to confirm their whereabouts. At the time, the provincial Department of Social Development said the offenders were detained at Pollsmoor in terms of an interim high court order, and the department had no further knowledge of their detention or its management. The department said the offenders have not been at Horizon since July last year. It further said the high court order remained active, even when the awaiting trial matter related to the three individuals concluded in the magistrate's court. This means they were to continue being detained at Pollsmoor due to the continued risk they posed to the children and staff at Horizon. The department communicated this to correctional services last month, explaining why it is important for individuals to continue being detained by correctional services as per the High Court order.
News24
5 days ago
- Health
- News24
Hundreds of state mental health patients are being kept in prison
Hundreds of state patients - people declared mentally unfit to stand trial or to be held criminally liable - are being kept in prisons rather than being treated in psychiatric hospitals. The number of state patients in prison has increased significantly over the past year. The Department of Correctional Services and the Department of Health are at odds over who should be responsible for these patients, and for how long. People who are found unfit to stand trial or be held criminally liable for a crime due to their psychiatric state are supposed to receive specialised care in the health system. But hundreds are being kept in prisons. And while the Department of Correctional Services and the Department of Health haggle over who should take responsibility, the number of these state patients is increasing, GroundUp reports. In Parliament during May, Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald said he had sent multiple letters to the minister of health, requesting the department to make room for the state patients in designated health facilities. 'If the minister responds tomorrow and says 'send them', we will send them almost that same day,' said Groenewald. He said that much of the Department of Correctional Services' (DCS) overspending - about R690 million in 2023/24 - was due to legal obligations such as caring for state patients, for which the overcrowded system does not have the budget. 'I will continue to follow up with the minister of health again, but unfortunately, I can't just take [the patients], go to a facility and offload them as if they are not my responsibility.' READ | I spent 12 days in a mental health clinic, and this is what it's like Health department spokesperson Foster Mohale said correspondence from the DCS had been received and responded to. Mohale said 'ideally' a state patient should be transferred to a psychiatric hospital within 30 days. This is the time it takes to complete the required paperwork if it is initiated as soon as the person is declared a state patient by the court. But the law is unclear about who is responsible for state patients and how long they need to remain in state care. According to the Mental Health Care Act, state patients should be transferred to healthcare facilities within two weeks of their designation. But a 2017 amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA) states they can be held in prisons, possibly indefinitely, or temporarily in the prison's health wing. Prison rates rising Regardless of how the responsibility is supposed to be shared, the current number of state patients in prisons appears to be increasing significantly. Groenewald said there were 331 state patients in prisons as of 7 May. The figure has been confirmed by the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS). The health department puts the number of state patients in prisons at around 400. Deaan Vivier/Netwerk24 This is a massive increase from March 2024, when the number was about 200, according to the DCS annual report. It is also the highest number of state patients in prison since statistics were first published in 2019. But these numbers are constantly in flux. In the 2023/24 reporting year, 185 state patients were transferred to health department psychiatric hospitals, but the number of new patients declared mentally unfit to stand trial was higher. The DCS annual report noted that state patients were remaining in prisons because there are not enough psychiatric hospitals, all of which have long waiting lists. Mohale says there are currently 3 765 declared state patients nationally. This implies about 10% or less are in prisons. The rest were housed across 13 psychiatric hospitals that have a total of 1 937 beds. The shortfall of about 1 500 beds in health department facilities is due to psychiatric hospitals admitting more patients than they have space for, and state patients being deemed stable enough to leave the hospital under particular guidelines. The health department states there has been an overall increase in psychiatric patients. Mohale said: These facilities were able to cater for the need in the past. He said there are now more state patients overall, and fewer of them are being reintegrated into their communities. Treatment vs punishment Figures gathered by JICS, obtained from a source, show that while some state patients are held in prisons for a few days or weeks, the vast majority have been kept in prison for months or even years. Three patients have been kept in prison for more than four years. Whether or not this is within the bounds of the law is unclear, as Parliament's subcommittee on correctional services noted three years ago. Keeping a state patient in prison may not be best for patients or prisons. 'The purpose of referral of state patients to a psychiatric institution is not punishment, rather treatment and rehabilitation, while simultaneously monitoring and managing their potential risk to the community,' states the DCS in its annual report. A 2015 study found that the majority of state patients who received treatment over three years at Sterkfontein Hospital in Gauteng were reintegrated into communities and did not reoffend, although a quarter of patients absconded. Similar studies on state patients in prisons have not been conducted. 'If the Department of Health knows of [state patients], they must make space, but obviously, a plan has not been made,' said Janho Engelbrecht, DA MP on the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services. Plans in place Mohale said the health department was trying to remedy the situation, with infrastructure projects being implemented at some psychiatric hospitals - some of which are more than 100 years old - and plans to build a new facility in Mpumalanga. The department is also looking to contract non-profit organisations to accommodate state patients when they are reclassified from state patients to outpatients, and to match state patients with custodians early to facilitate their reintegration. A significant step is also to address the shortage of psychiatrists at Eastern Cape facilities. 'This is largely due to the rural nature of the province, resulting in fewer psychiatrists willing to work there, especially at Komani Hospital,' Mohale says. He said two additional psychiatrists had been appointed to the province through international recruitment. The department is also considering joint appointments with universities to increase the number of psychiatrists working in some capacity with state patients. Along with expanding the capacity of psychiatric hospitals, this may address current gaps in the system.
IOL News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
South Africa's call to the UN over dangers of cybercrime and organised crime
During the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice session, Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald stressed the significance of global cooperation in the fight against cybercrime. Image: Facebook/ Department of Correctional Services Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald said Monday that international collaboration is essential for combating modern threats such as cybercrime, which erode the rule of law and negatively affect the quality of life for all citizens, particularly vulnerable populations. He also announced that South Africa is in the process of creating a National Transnational Organised Crime Strategy to address these issues. This formed part of South Africa's national statement at the 34th session of the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) in Vienna, Austria. Groenewald said the CCPCJ is convening at a significant moment, as the international community marks the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also known as the Nelson Mandela Rules and the 15th anniversary of the Bangkok Rules. He said these reflect the global consensus that the dignity and human rights of all persons, including those deprived of liberty, must be respected. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ 'As we confront new, evolving, and increasingly complex forms of crime, ranging from cybercrime to crimes that affect the environment, it is imperative that our justice systems remain firmly anchored in the rule of law and guided by the fundamental principles of human rights,' Groenewald said. 'In this context, South Africa welcomes the timely deliberations of this session, recognising that these emerging forms of crime pose a growing threat to global peace, security, and sustainable development. We welcome the theme's alignment with Actions 7 and 24 of the Pact for the Future and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.' The Minister said that although South Africa supports the ongoing reform of the United Nations to enhance system-wide coherence and realignment of priorities and financial resources, it is concerned about the ongoing liquidity crisis facing the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and its adverse impact on programme delivery and technical assistance, particularly to developing countries. However, the country affirms its support for the role the UNODC plays in addressing transnational organised crime. 'South Africa calls for strengthened international cooperation to effectively address evolving threats, which undermine the rule of law and impact the quality of life of our citizens, particularly the most vulnerable, such as women, children and youth,' Groenewald said. 'In this regard, I wish to inform that South Africa is developing a National Transnational Organised Crime Strategy to prevent and combat transnational organised crime.' 'To enhance the fight against crime and ensure uniformity, Member States are encouraged to harmonise their legal frameworks by ratifying and implementing international legal treaties, such as the recently adopted UN Convention against Cybercrime, which serves as a pivotal international framework to combat cybercrime, strengthen international cooperation and facilitate technical assistance and capacity-building support, particularly for developing countries,' Groenewald continued. Groenewald urged Member States to sign and ratify the instrument for early entry into force and also adopt innovative crime prevention approaches to build a safer and more resilient world. Meanwhile, on behalf of the African Group, ambassador, permanent representative of Burkina Faso and chair of the Africa Group to the Permanent Missions to the United Nations in Vienna, Maimounata Ouattara, urged all United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) State Parties to impose a system-wide zero tolerance policy against corrupt practices and highlights the necessity to take urgent measures to prevent, prosecute and deter all forms of corruption, to strengthen international cooperation to effectively prevent and counter money laundering and illicit financial flows and enhance measures for the identification, tracing, freezing, seizure, return of assets and recovery of all proceeds of crime or corruption, to deny them safe havens through their eventual confiscation.
IOL News
16-05-2025
- IOL News
Minister considers future of court action over Bloemfontein prison contract
Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald says he is considering his options regarding the Bloemfontein Correctional Services contract. Image: Independent Media Archives Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald said on Thursday that he was pondering whether to continue with court action involving the private prison in Bloemfontein where inmate Thabo Bester escaped from three years ago. This as the disputed contract, which is the subject of litigation in court, was due to expire in a year's time. Groenewald said despite the ongoing court action over the Bloemfontein Correctional Centre (BCC), which is managed by G4S security, the contract was coming to an end in June next year. 'Is it worth it to continue to go to court with millions of rands of taxpayer money when the contract ends in June next year? Those are considerations I will have to take in this specific matter,' he said. Video Player is loading. 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Next Stay Close ✕ Groenewald made the statement during a question and answer session in the National Assembly when he was quizzed about the cancellation notice the department issued to the Bloemfontein Correctional Centre contract in May 2023. His predecessor Ronald Lamola last year announced plans to take over the management of the Bloemfontein-based private prison within 90 days, following the issuing of the termination notice of the contract. This was after the department obtained legal opinion that deemed the BCC was not suitable to continue with the management contract. The private company then instituted legal action. Groenewald told MPs that his department was going to provide an update on the termination notice of the concession contract as soon the pending legal proceedings were finalised. 'We are in a litigation process with BCC. BCC and G4S have taken the department to court challenging the notice of termination of the concession contract as issued by the national commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services. There are specific matters they raise in the notice of termination.' He said the contract with BCC will expire in June 2026 while that of another privately-run prison, Kutama Sinthumule Correctional Centre in Makhado, Limpopo, that was managed by the South African Custodial management, will end in February 2027. Groenewald said the department has done its homework ahead the expiry of the BCC contract next year. 'It does not mean we have taken a decision to continue or not,' he said, adding that he could not at the moment answer if the contract will be continued. 'When I have to make that decision, it will be an objective decision in what is in the best interest of South Africa and in the best interest of Correctional Services. If they (BCC) want to play this recording in court, they are welcome. I did not take a decision yet,' he said. However, Groenewald said they were busy with a plan that was looking at the pros and the cons for the takeover of the privately managed prisons. 'We are busy with those plans and it involves both the private institutions.' The Minister indicated that there was a general view and perception that privately managed prisons were better than government managed facilities. 'We are to make an informative decision when we come to that point,' he said. Groenewald, who conducted two visits to BCC since he became the minister, said disciplinary steps were being taken against the two departmental officials who were implicated in the escape of Bester. He said the officials did not immediately report the escape in May 2022 to the national commissioner. 'They only reported and informed the national commissioner of Correctional Services in November of that year, whereas they were supposed to do so immediately.' Cape Times
IOL News
15-05-2025
- IOL News
Minister Groenewald ponders continuation of court action against Bloemfontein prison
Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald says he is considering his options regarding the Bloemfontein Correctional Services contract. Image: Independent Media Archives Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald said on Thursday that he was pondering whether to continue with court action involving the private prison in Bloemfontein where inmate Thabo Bester escaped three years ago. This as the disputed contract, which is the subject of litigation in court, was due to expire in a year's time. Groenewald said despite the ongoing court action over the Bloemfontein Correctional Centre (BCC), which is managed by G4S security, the contract was coming to an end in June next year. 'Is it worth it to continue to go to court with millions of rands of taxpayer money when the contract ends in June next year? Those are considerations I will have to take in this specific matter,' he said. Video Player is loading. 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Next Stay Close ✕ Groenewald made the statement during a question and answer session in the National Assembly when he was quizzed about the cancellation notice the department issued to the Bloemfontein Correctional Centre contract in May 2023. His predecessor Ronald Lamola last year announced plans to take over the management of the Bloemfontein-based private prison within 90 days, following the issuing of the termination notice of the contract. This was after the department obtained legal opinion that deemed the BCC was not suitable to continue with the management contract. The private company then instituted legal action. Groenewald told MPs that his department was going to provide an update on the termination notice of the concession contract as soon the pending legal proceedings were finalised. 'We are in a litigation process with BCC. BCC and G4S have taken the department to court challenging the notice of termination of the concession contract as issued by the national commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services. There are specific matters they raise in the notice of termination.' He said the contract with BCC will expire in June 2026 while that of another privately-run prison, Kutama Sinthumule Correctional Centre in Makhado, Limpopo, that was managed by the South African Custodial management, will end in February 2027. Groenewald said the department has done its homework ahead the expiry of the BCC contract next year. 'It does not mean we have taken a decision to continue or not,' he said, adding that he could not at the moment answer if the contract will be continued. 'When I have to make that decision, it will be an objective decision in what is in the best interest of South Africa and in the best interest of Correctional Services. If they (BCC) want to play this recording in court, they are welcome. I did not take a decision yet,' he said. However, Groenewald said they were busy with a plan that was looking at the pros and the cons for the takeover of the privately managed prisons. 'We are busy with those plans and it involves both the private institutions.' The Minister indicated that there was a general view and perception that privately managed prisons were better than government managed facilities. 'We are to make an informative decision when we come to that point,' he said. Groenewald, who conducted two visits to BCC since he became the minister, said disciplinary steps were being taken against the two departmental officials who were implicated in the escape of Bester. He said the officials did not immediately report the escape in May 2022 to the national commissioner. 'They only reported and informed the national commissioner of Correctional Services in November of that year, whereas they were supposed to do so immediately.'
