DA calls for debate of national importance on SAPS DNA chaos
11 March 2021
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will write to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Thandi Modise, to request a debate of national importance regarding the fact that the South African Police Service' (SAPS) information system for tracking and tracing DNA samples has been offline since June last year as well as the increasing DNA backlog which now sits at 172 000.
We are taking this important step after more than a year of raising issues relating to contract management challenges and the accumulating backlog of DNA case exhibits which remain unprocessed without any progress on the side of SAPS. The DA has been at the forefront of this issue and it has become clear that SAPS has not been fully transparent with the committee from the outset.
It was revealed this week in a parliamentary portfolio committee on police meeting that the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, twice stopped an agreement with Forensic Data Analysis (FDA) to keep the critically important track and trace system running at our National Forensic Science Laboratories (NFSL).
The Property Control and Exhibit Management System (PCEM) has been shut down since June last year and as a result an estimated 8 million pieces of evidence are unaccounted for.
The collapse of SAPS’ DNA processing capabilities has catastrophic consequences for the criminal justice system and yet another indicator of the incapable State. Thousands of violent criminals are being let loose on the streets to torment their victims and commit new crimes. Murderers and rapists have been given a license to commit violent crime without impunity by this incapable State institution with a DNA backlog fast approaching 200 000 case exhibits.
The fact that the Minister and the National Police Commissioner, General KhehlaSitole, seems to be locked in a power struggle is undermining SAPS and our communities and citizens are left to deal with the fall-out.
The DA welcomes committee chair, Tina Joemat-Pettersson’s call for an investigation into the matter and her insistence that feedback regarding a solution to the travesty be presented at the committee meeting next week.
The DA will continue to champion this issue in Parliament and work together with all political parties to repair the damage caused by Minister Cele and General Sitole. Working together we can turn this situation around and ensure that the victims of violent crimes receive the justice they deserve.
Issued byAndrew Whitfield,DA Shadow Minister of Police, 11 March 2021
