Balfour to the meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Correctional
Services
29 March 2006
The Minister of Correctional Services N Balfour (MP) has noted the
invitation from the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee to avail himself for
a further discussion on the strategic plan and budget (Vote 20) of Correctional
Services.
It is unfortunate, however, that the date coincides with a meeting of the
Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster (JCPS) Cabinet Committee where
the Ministers are discussing the Government Programme of Action for 2006/07.
The Minister has requested me to inform the Committee that for this reason he
regrets that he is unable to attend this meeting.
The Minister does, however, wish to place on record that due to the
seriousness of the project of construction of correctional centres for
government and the Department, he would have loved to attend the meeting to
interact with Members of this Committee personally. He has also noted with
grave concern that the matter has, over the past week, been carried in the
media in a manner that can only be described as inaccurate.
It is the view of the Minister, the management of the Department and myself
that an urgent intervention is needed to clarify the misconceptions that have
been created as a result of the negative reporting on this matter. In this
regard, the Minister humbly requests the Chairperson to, at a the earliest
available opportunity, convene a special meeting where the Department will
present another comprehensive progress report that will provide details on the
status of the four correctional centres whose construction was announced in
2002 as well as the additional four that have been announced by the President
in his State of the Nation Address in February this year. Representatives from
the Department of Public Works and National Treasury, as partners in this
project, will be invited to attend this special meeting.
In the meantime, however, the Minister would like to once again dispel the
inaccuracies that have been made about the project and that there has not been
any reallocation or movement of funds from the budget of the construction of
the new centres to other projects.
We would like to conclude by emphasising that the department is ready, able
and committed to use the construction of correctional centres and other
projects to contribute to economic growth and development.
Issued by: Department of Correctional Services
29 March 2006
