Corporal punishment: Minister Groenewald suggests bringing back the rod. Education expert reacts
'The court must decide how many lashes, and with what type of cane.' he said.
Veriava says there's no evidence to suggest this as an effective mode of punishment or rehabilitation.
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Eyewitness News
2 days ago
- Eyewitness News
Corporal punishment: Minister Groenewald suggests bringing back the rod. Education expert reacts
Speaking to Mandy Wiener on the Midday Report on Wednesday, Groenewald said the corporal punishment used would be lashes with a heavy or light cane - depending on the crime. 'The court must decide how many lashes, and with what type of cane.' he said. Veriava says there's no evidence to suggest this as an effective mode of punishment or rehabilitation.
IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
Bring back the whip, says Minister Groenewald
Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald has ignited after suggesting South Africa consider bringing back corporal punishment for petty criminals who can't afford bail Should a person who steals ten loaves of bread be sent to prison for years, or given a painful walloping and sent home? That's the debate Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald has ignited after suggesting South Africa consider bringing back corporal punishment for petty criminals who can't afford bail. Speaking during a parliamentary discussion on the country's 2025 correctional services budget, Groenewald said the justice system was collapsing under the weight of overcrowded prisons, and bold ideas were needed. 'There are people sitting in prison for stealing food,' Groenewald said. 'Some wait up to three years for sentencing. Isn't it time we asked ourselves — should we bring back corporal punishment?' He was referring to more than 2,500 detainees who are stuck in prison simply because they can't afford a bail of R1 000 or less. These are often people accused of small, non-violent crimes. And they're part of a bigger crisis: South Africa has over 104 000 people in prison, in facilities built for far fewer. Beds are limited. Staff is stretched thin. And many of those awaiting trial don't need to be behind bars at all. But Groenewald's solution, physical punishment, has divided the country. For some, the idea is too close to South Africa's dark history. Human rights groups and political opponents quickly pushed back, saying the suggestion reminded them of the harsh justice handed out under apartheid, where the state used caning and other physical punishments as tools of control.' This isn't just about crime and punishment,' said a human rights lawyer. 'This is about dignity. This is about a state choosing whether to treat people as human beings or not.'The mention of corporal punishment immediately brought comparisons to apartheid's security forces, who were notorious for using violence under the name of justice.
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
Wasted freedom: Here's how many parolees reoffended last year
Robbery, theft, housebreaking and assault were the most common crimes committed by parolees, while murder and rape increased. The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has revealed how many parolees have squandered their chances of freedom. Reoffending parolees and the cost of housing inmates were recently addressed by Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald. The minister warned that the monitoring of parolees could be an area under threat as he announced a reduction in the department's budget for the coming year. More than one in 10 reoffend Groenewald signed off on a DCS report in June that detailed the number of parolees who had been rearrested in the last five years. DCS had released 287 474 inmates under correctional supervision since the 2020-21 financial year, with 29 940 parolees being rearrested in the last five financial years A written parliamentary response revealed that 5 682 of the 52 556 inmates released on parole or probation during the 2024-25 financial year had reoffended. That represents 12.4% of parolees and is up from the 10.9% from the previous financial year, as well as the highest of any of the last five years. The crimes that sent parolees back to prison early were theft (523), housebreaking (488), robbery (337) and assault (351). Rearrests for murder accounted for 209 cases while 345 parolees were rearrested on a rape or sexual assault charge — both the highest at any point in the last five years. No more easy parole Groenewald announced the department has a capital budget shortfall of R222 million and warned of the possible consequences. 'The cuts to our budget translate to the provision of security equipment being compromised; capital investment in skills development being cut; the budget for nutritional services had to be cut; capital works projects will be on hold; and the monitoring of parolees could be negatively impacted,' said Groenewald. He reiterated that he would implement strict measures on parolees, despite overcrowding in prisons. 'An excessive number of medium to high-risk offenders are being recommended for parole. Once again, we must not allow the citizens of South Africa to bear the burden of this risk,' he said. Cost of housing inmates The minister explained in his budget speech on Tuesday that South Africa was spending R463 per day per prisoner to care for inmates. He added that roughly 24 000 foreign nationals were currently passing through correctional services, costing the state R11 million per day. These were all awaiting trial and are part of the 60 000 remanded inmates who cost the state R27.7 million per day while the court proceedings drag on. Asked whether parolees were monitored after their sentences ended, the minister clarified that offenders became free citizens once their sentences were served. 'There is no provision for continuous monitoring of released offenders as they would have reached their sentence expiry date,' Groenewald stated. NOW READ: Cheap labour? Here's how much prisoners earn in Correctional Services' bakeries
