72 904 drug-related cases withdrawn by NPA
Between 2010 and 2013, 72 904 cases related to drug-related crimes were withdrawn by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) according to a reply to a DA parliamentary question. That is approximately 66 cases per day, 467 cases per week or 2 025 per month.
The DA will be submitting follow-up parliamentary questions to ascertain why these cases were withdrawn, given that the number of cases withdrawn amounts to almost a third of the total cases dealt within during that period.
According to the reply, the withdrawn cases related to the illegal import, cultivation, manufacture, dealing or possession of hardened substances such as cocaine, tik, heroine, nyaope, LSD and mandrax. The breakdown is as follows:
- 2010/11 financial year - 23 854 cases withdrawn
- 2011/12 financial year - 23 344 cases withdrawn
- 2012/13 financial year - 25 706 cases withdrawn
Drug abuse and addiction is destroying families, ruining young people's lives, and a contributing factor in most violent crime in South Africa.
The first step in reducing drug abuse is arresting and convicting those involved in drug-related crimes.
It is vital that we establish whether the reasons for the withdrawal relate to corruption, failure of forensic laboratories, inadequate police investigation or other factors. We trust that the Department of Justice is keeping accurate records of these reasons, as it is not possible to address the problem if we do not know what is causing it.
We shall eagerly await the reasons from our follow-up questions so that we can ensure that government has put sufficient measures in place to address it.
Statement issued by Debbie Schafer MP, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, November 5 2013
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