Minister Michael Masutha on current status of Head Office of the Department of Correctional Services

Following Wednesday’s shutdown of the Poyntons Building head office of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) by the Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, Councillor Solly Msimanga, officials from the City’s Emergency Services Department yesterday contacted the owners of the building to engage on safety measures to be undertaken in order to resume the business of the DCS as soon as possible.

The Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Adv. Michael Masutha, is satisfied that the ongoing engagements will soon result in the Poyntons Building being fully compliant with regulatory safety requirements.

In view of this development, the Minister does not believe that it is necessary at this stage to approach the courts to challenge the shutdown.

Given the public interest that attaches to this matter, the Minister believes that the engagement between the Municipality and the owners of the building must result in members of staff and the public who use the building feeling and being safe.

Equally important is that as the nerve centre of the DCS, the Poyntons Building must be brought back into operation as soon as possible in order for the DCS to resume its constitutional mandate.

To this end, the DCS is also in the process of consultations with various stakeholders including staff and organised labour.

Minister Masutha appreciates the new spirit of cooperation – including the municipality’s permission to engineers to access the building – between the Municipality and the DCS. In particular, the Minister reiterates the national government’s commitment to the principle of co-operative governance which underpins the relationship between the three spheres of government.

Further details will be communicated as new developments arise.

For more information, please contact:
Mukoni Ratshitanga
Cell: 066 579 6012

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