National Commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services Makgothi Thobakgale to appear before the Commission for Gender Equality
On the 22nd of February 2024, the National Commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), Mr. Makgothi Thobakgale will appear before the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) to account for various issues as well as transformation within the Department.
In 2017, the Commission conducted a study and subsequently issued a report in 2018 that looked at issues on mental healthcare of female inmates in South Africa. Furthermore, the Commission instituted an investigation into the state of correctional centres in the country, the investigation is primarily focused on ascertaining whether the Department of Correctional Services has upheld its obligation derived from the Correctional Services Act, 1998 (Act 111 of 1998), the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977 (Act 51 of 1977), the 2005 White Paper on Corrections in South Africa, and the 2014 White Paper on Remand Detention Management in South Africa to place offenders in a secure, safe and humane environment, and to ensure that rehabilitation and successful reintegration programmes are implemented.
It is against this backdrop that the Department of Correctional Services will be appearing before the Commission for the transformation hearing, the objective of the hearing is to:
- Analyse the challenges faced by the Departments in terms of its infrastructure and the correctional facilities.
- Report on the inspections conducted by the CGE at various correctional facilities.
- Analyse statistics and reports on overcrowding.
- Examine the security systems in place.
- Examine the effect of budgetary constraints and challenges.
- Analyse the process of admission to a correctional centre.
- Analyse the processes in place to search inmates.
- Analyse Parole Board Procedures and its composition.
- Establish Victim participatory rights in parole hearings.
- Examine the provision of healthcare services at correctional centers.
Time: 09h00-17h00
Venue: CGE Boardroom, 2 Kotze Street, Women’s Jail, East Wing, Constitution Hill, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
RSVP:
Javu Baloyi
E-mail:Javu@cge.org.za
Cell: 083 579 3306
These hearings with be lived streamed via CGE’s facebook page: Commission for Gender Equality and YouTube Channel: Cgelive
