Lerato Mbhiza
Deputy President Paul Mashatile said in the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the courts have shown a 27.9% increase in life imprisonment sentences for GBVF cases through Thuthuzela Care Centers.
Mashatile said this while giving a keynote address in the National Conference on the Review of the Integrated Criminal Justice System and the Review of the Criminal Justice Act, No 51 of 1977, at the Birchwood Hotel, Ekurhuleni.
He said the government is responding swiftly to the GBVF epidemic by putting an emphasis on robust institutions and solid evidence.
“In late 2020, the Department of Justice introduced three amendment bills including the Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Act 12 of 2021, the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 13 of 2021, and the Domestic Violence Amendment Act 14 of 2021. The latter Act established an electronic repository for domestic violence protection orders, which became operational on April 14, 2023,” he said .
“These laws significantly changed the legislative framework for Gender-Based violence, emphasising the need for an effective and efficient criminal justice system to fight GBVF.”
Mashatile said regarding immigration, South Africa is looking at implementing new laws that will look at legislation that address citizenship, and refugee protection, including the Citizenship Act, Immigration Act, and Refugees Act, as amended.
“‘I am confident that the recently approved Cabinet White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration, and Refugee Protection will provide a framework for granting residency and citizenship to foreign nationals, and protecting refugees and asylum seekers while keeping the Republic’s national security interests in mind, and following international migration agreements and protocols to which South Africa is a party,” he said .
He added that the economic infrastructure task teams are actively working to combat non-ferrous metal theft, essential and critical infrastructure crimes, and illegal activities in mining.
“They emphasise the need to enhance existing interventions to safeguard economic infrastructure, with a particular focus on Eskom, Transnet, and PRASA. As a government, we have put fighting crime and corruption as a top priority because it undermines human rights and the rule of law.
“‘Through the Integrated Task Force, we are coordinating the implementation of 205 recommendations for criminal investigations made by the Zondo State Capture Commission. As it stands, three convictions secured and 11 cases are currently before court relating to 36 recommendations. The remaining recommendations are still under investigation.
“Despite these crime intervention strategies and other initiatives, the most recent Statistics South Africa Victims of Crime Survey indicates that confidence in our criminal justice system is declining,” he said.
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