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The South African
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The South African
Unbanning corporal punishment in SA [video]
South Africans are weighing in on the debate surrounding unbanning corporal punishment as suggested by the Minister of Correctional Services, Pieter Groenewald, to combat prison overcrowding. The minister called on citizens to start a dialogue during his budget vote presentation at the National Assembly this week. Delivering his budget vote at the National Assembly this week, Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald suggested a debate on reintroducing corporal punishment as a means of preventing prison overcrowding. Read the full version of the ' Yes or no? SA weighs into unbanning corporal punishment' article. Delivering his budget vote at the National Assembly this week, Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald suggested a debate on reintroducing corporal punishment as a means of preventing prison overcrowding. The controversial practice was abolished in South African schools in 1996 under the Corporal Punishment Act, and later the South African Schools Act, specifically Section 10. Looking for quick updates? Watch News in a Minute videos on The South African's YouTube page for all the key stories you need to know! Catch all the latest videos on news, lifestyle, travel, sports and more – there's always something to watch! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky to stay connected and get your news on the go!
The South African
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The South African
Yes or no? SA weighs into unbanning corporal punishment
South Africans are weighing in on the debate surrounding unbanning corporal punishment as suggested by the Minister of Correctional Services, Pieter Groenewald, to combat prison overcrowding. The minister called on citizens to start a dialogue during his budget vote presentation at the National Assembly this week. Delivering his budget vote at the National Assembly this week, Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald suggested a debate on reintroducing corporal punishment as a means of preventing prison overcrowding. The controversial practice was abolished in South African schools in 1996 under the Corporal Punishment Act, and later the South African Schools Act, specifically Section 10. He later told eNCA: 'It is causing the taxpayer R463 per day per prisoner. And that is why I said we should open the debate. I know that there is certain legislation…but let's hear what the people of South Africa's views are'. He continued: 'If it is possible that we can use corporal punishment, then we can address part of the overcrowding and we're also going to save the taxpayers' money'. Groenewald suggested that the practice should be used against those who committed petty offences and could not afford bail. Corporal punishment was officially outlawed in South African schools, as outlined in the Constitution, which enshrines the right to freedom and security of children, including freedom from violence. In 2019, the Constitutional Court of South Africa ruled that enforcing the act in schools was 'unconstitutional.' In its judgement, it referred to research that showed that the practice was 'potentially harmful and part of a wider circle of violence', particularly amid South Africa's 'history of widespread and institutionalised violence'. Should SA unban corporal punishment? Image via Pixabay Later, in 2022, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) criticised reports that then Gauteng MEC for Education, Penyaza Lesufi, suggested reviewing policies, including corporal punishment. It said: 'Corporal punishment increases behavioural problems in children in the long-term and has shown no positive behavioural outcomes.' On the X platform, South Africans have shared their views on whether corporal punishment should be unbanned in society, whether in schools or prisons. Popular podcaster Penuel Mlotshwa posted: 'I support Pieter Groenewald. There are people sitting in jail for petty crimes, which strains tax money… but fattens the purses of tenderpreneurs. Those people should get a whipping and be released. Here's what others had to say… @nicksta_napo: 'Maybe make it mandatory for people to serve in the military for a specific period, rather than abusing kids at school'. @UnityInSA: 'We need this. Whatever we had in 30 years is clearly not working. Time to change the system. If a potential criminal does not want to be punished, then he/she must stay away from crime. Its simple'. @KG_Mulelwa: 'Corporal punishment for petty crimes and death penalty via lethal injection for serious and hideous crimes'. @Sthamber: 'Corporal punishment takes us back to the bad old days of Apartheid. There should be better ways of dealing with prison overcrowding. South Africa needs to be more innovative'.
The South African
02-07-2025
- Politics
- The South African
Return of corporal punishment? Minister of Education responds
Pieter Groenewald's suggestion to reintegrate corporal punishment into the system has been shot down by the Minister of Education, Siviwe Gwarube. The Minister of Correctional Services made the controversial claim whilst discussing how to curb overcrowding in prisons. In 1996, corporal punishment was officially abolished in South African schools. Delivering his budget vote at the National Assembly on Tuesday, 1 July, Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald discussed several challenges within his department. They included overcrowding, particularly of offenders who could not afford to pay their bail for petty offences. Some of them included minors, as young as 10 years old, who were jailed for stealing loaves of bread. Groenewald then suggested a debate on reintroducing corporal punishment, which was abolished in South African schools in 1996 under the Corporal Punishment Act, and later the South African Schools Act, specifically Section 10. In his speech, he said, 'If you look at our criminal justice system, we must start a debate about whether we should bring back corporal punishment.' 'A young person who steals 10 loaves of bread sits in prison and waits about three years for sentencing. Think about whether we should bring back corporal punishment.' Groenewald added: 'We must consider the costs. Keeping each of these individuals in custody costs the taxpayer R463 per person each day'. Although Pieter Groenewald's suggestion was met with strong opposition, ACDP leader, Dr Kenneth Meshoe, agreed with the minister's stance, claiming that the 1996 corporal punishment ban had 'fuelled lawlessness in schools' He said: 'We have seen a number of children acting foolishly. Bullying has increased in schools, rape is taking place in schools much more than before the banning of corporal punishment. 'Many teachers need protection from their own students. Students have learned to attack teachers, some even attack their parents at home. Now these children end up in prisons because there are parents who are brave enough to lay charges against their own children.' Meshoe added to the National Assembly: 'There's a difference between abuse and correctional discipline. I know that there are some parents out of frustration, who have gone to extremes and used corporal punishment where they shouldn't have used it.' Although Pieter Groenwald did not specifically indicate that corporal punishment should be reintegrated into schools, Minister of Education Siviwe Gwarube has already firmly rejected the idea. She simply posted 'No', responding to the fellow minister's suggestion. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
