Latest news with #RogerSolomons
The Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- The Herald
More than R5m in taxpayers' money spent to fund suspended police salaries — Mchunu
SAPS has spent more than R5m to fund the salaries of 11 suspended police officers over the past three years. This was revealed by police minister Senzo Mchunu in a written reply to a recent parliamentary question by Build One SA (Bosa). By May 16, two lieutenant-generals suspended since 2022 have been paid more than R4m without working. Other officers suspended with full pay include sergeants and constables, with their payments ranging from R35,000 to R56,000 each. Bosa spokesperson Roger Solomons criticised the payments, citing a shortage of police resources to respond to crime. 'This is an affront to every South African living in fear, waiting hours for the police to respond, only to be told there are no vehicles, no officers and no capacity. Meanwhile, senior officers who should be leading the fight against crime are being paid millions to sit at home. 'While communities are under siege, SAPS continues to waste resources on suspended officials instead of bolstering front-line policing.' Mchunu previously said the country has a shortage of detectives, with 2,344 vacant posts. Solomons said this shows SAPS's failure in leadership and accountability. 'A culture that tolerates delayed disciplinary processes, shields incompetence and rewards misconduct cannot deliver safety to the people of South Africa. 'Bosa calls for urgent disciplinary case finalisation for suspended officers and transparency reports every quarter on SAPS suspensions and costs.' TimesLIVE
TimesLIVE
a day ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
More than R5m in taxpayers' money spent to fund suspended police salaries — Mchunu
SAPS has spent more than R5m to fund the salaries of 11 suspended police officers over the past three years. This was revealed by police minister Senzo Mchunu in a written reply to a recent parliamentary question by Build One SA (Bosa). By May 16, two lieutenant-generals suspended since 2022 have been paid more than R4m without working. Other officers suspended with full pay include sergeants and constables, with their payments ranging from R35,000 to R56,000 each. Bosa spokesperson Roger Solomons criticised the payments, citing a shortage of police resources to respond to crime. 'This is an affront to every South African living in fear, waiting hours for the police to respond, only to be told there are no vehicles, no officers and no capacity. Meanwhile, senior officers who should be leading the fight against crime are being paid millions to sit at home. 'While communities are under siege, SAPS continues to waste resources on suspended officials instead of bolstering front-line policing.' Mchunu previously said the country has a shortage of detectives, with 2,344 vacant posts. Solomons said this shows SAPS's failure in leadership and accountability. 'A culture that tolerates delayed disciplinary processes, shields incompetence and rewards misconduct cannot deliver safety to the people of South Africa. 'Bosa calls for urgent disciplinary case finalisation for suspended officers and transparency reports every quarter on SAPS suspensions and costs.'
Mail & Guardian
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
National Register for Sex Offenders still in legislative process, justice department says
The National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO) is still in a 'legislative review process' after its release was halted in February to address the confidentiality and disclosure clauses that prevent public access, the ministry of justice and constitutional development said The National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO) is still in a 'legislative review process' after its release was halted in February to address the confidentiality and disclosure clauses that prevent public access, the ministry of justice and constitutional development said. Ministry spokesperson Terrence Manase noted that the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act criminalises the disclosure of information on the register, with penalties including fines or imprisonment. 'In light of these limitations, the ministry has initiated a legislative review process to address the confidentiality and disclosure clauses that currently prevent public access,' said Manase. This comes after Police Minister Senzo Mchunu Following Mchunu's revelation, Bosa said it had written to the justice department requesting access to the sex offenders register, but this was denied. 'Government is hellbent on keeping [the register] under wraps,' Bosa spokesperson Roger Solomons said. 'This register should be a tool for prevention, not a secretive ledger buried in bureaucracy.' As of early 2025, the register contained more than 32 000 names, with more than 10 000 additional cases pending court outcomes. Public access remains restricted because of confidentiality clauses in the The register was established in 2007 to track people convicted of sexual offences, particularly against vulnerable groups such as children and persons with mental disabilities. It lists the name and personal details of the offender; their contact details; their ID, passport or license number; the type of sexual offence the offender was convicted of and against whom; the court where the trial took place; and the case number. An email sent to Bosa by the registrar of the National Register for Sex Offenders committee, Ntombizodwa Matjila, said the party cannot access the register because of the confidentiality and disclosure of information in 'Due to the legislative imperatives mentioned above, the register or any information contained in the NRSO cannot be disclosed under any circumstances,' Matjila wrote in the email, a copy of which the Mail & Guardian has seen. The registry is only accessible to employers who work with children or mentally disabled people, as well as government departments and institutions responsible for child protection. Employers are legally required to screen potential employees against the register before hiring them into such jobs. Constitutional and data privacy experts say making the register public raises serious legal concerns. They note that it could infringe on rights to privacy and dignity under sections 14 and 10 of the Constitution, and may violate the Protection of Personal Information Act (Popia), which safeguards sensitive data. 'There are concerns regarding the potential impact on the families of perpetrators, especially their children, who may face stigma and backlash for crimes they did not commit. In addition, the NRSO cannot be considered sufficient as a standalone measure,' said Brigitta Mangale, a director in the pro bono and human rights practice at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. Legal experts at the Centre for Applied Legal Studies warned of risks such as defamation, vigilantism and wrongful listings, particularly without proper oversight or appeal mechanisms. The NGO People Opposing 'Dealing with paperwork from government organisations is a very tedious process, which is usual, but when you have urgent cases like information relating to the registry, it does become difficult to wait,' said the organisation's executive director, Fatima Shaikh. With nearly 20 000 South Africans backing Bosa's petition, the party is now considering a legislative amendment to make the register publicly accessible. 'This is about transparency, safety and accountability,' said Solomons. 'We will not accept more delays in protecting South Africans — especially our children — from sexual predators.' Manase said a definitive timeline cannot yet be provided but the justice department 'remains committed to enabling public access to the register in a legally compliant manner'. 'Ultimately, the goal is to enhance the protection of vulnerable members of our society while ensuring transparency within the bounds of the law.'
Eyewitness News
04-06-2025
- General
- Eyewitness News
BOSA unhappy Justice Ministry won't grant it access to the National Register of Sex Offenders
JOHANNESBURG - Build One South Africa (BOSA) is displeased with the Justice Ministry's rejection of their request to gain access to the National Register for Sex Offenders (NRSO). The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, had committed to releasing the list in February this year but retracted, citing legal concerns. In response, the party submitted an application in the form of a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to the department, which grants individuals access to information held by public or private bodies. ALSO READ: BOSA says public sexual offenders list important for parents to protect children A day after Child Protection Week started last week on Friday, the Department of Justice wrote back to the political party rejecting their application for the release of the sex offenders list. BOSA initially made the application for the release of the list in March, calling for the protection of children against predators. The department says Section 52 of the Sexual Offences and Related Crimes Act says anyone found to have disclosed the contents of the NRSO can be fined or jailed for up to three years. BOSA spokesperson Roger Solomons says it is disappointing as the country keeps seeing a rise in the abuse of children. "As BOSA, we note with great frustration and anger the Justice Ministry's rejection of our Promotion of Access to Information Act, where we requested to gain access to this highly secretive register of sex offenders, which government is hellbent on keeping under wraps." He says there is public interest in the matter, which should trump privacy laws.
Mail & Guardian
03-06-2025
- Health
- Mail & Guardian
Only 0.1% of police officers checked for sexual offences
Build One South Africa (Bosa) has condemned the South African Police Service (SAPS) for what it describes as 'dangerous negligence' after a revelation that less than 0.14% of police officers have been screened against the National Register for Sex Offenders (Photo by Gallo Images / Phill Magakoe) Build One South Africa (Bosa) has condemned the South African Police Service (SAPS) for what it describes as 'dangerous negligence' after a revelation that less than 0.14% of police officers have been screened against the Responding to a This amounts to fewer than one in every 700 officers being vetted for possible sexual offences. The disclosure comes as South Africa continues to battle one of the world's highest rates of sexual violence. In the 2023-24 financial year alone, more than 42 700 'This lack of oversight is staggering and undermines any public trust in SAPS's ability to protect the most vulnerable,' Bosa spokesperson Roger Solomons said in a statement. 'When the very people tasked with enforcing the law are not properly vetted, we create fertile ground for abuse and impunity within the police service.' The concern over inadequate vetting comes as internal misconduct in the police service remains a worry. According to official figures, 2 108 police officers have been Bosa is demanding immediate and far-reaching reforms and the party has formally written to Mchunu, urging him to table a clear and time-bound plan to address the issue. This includes the urgent screening of all SAPS personnel — uniformed and civilian — within three months, as well as incorporating sexual offenders register checks into all future recruitment, promotion and disciplinary procedures. 'Bosa is also calling for a full public audit of all SAPS staff dismissed in the past five years to identify whether any were employed despite previous convictions for sexual offences,' Solomons said. 'Transparency and accountability must be prioritised if the police are to regain public trust.' The party further urged parliament and civil society organisations to take an active role in overseeing the implementation of these reforms, stressing that the existence of the 'At a time when South Africans — especially women and children — face epidemic levels of sexual violence, this kind of neglect is not just disappointing, it's dangerous,' Solomon said. Bosa has demanded that Mchunu report to parliament within 60 days on the progress in implementing NRSO screenings and broader vetting processes. 'The police should be the first line of defence against sexual violence, not a blind spot,' Solomon said. 'We need a clean, ethical and professional SAPS that the public can rely on to uphold the law, not ignore it.' The SAPS had not responded to queries from the Mail & Guardian by the time of publication. As of early 2025, the register contained over 32 000 names, with more than 10 000 additional cases pending court outcomes. Despite this, public access remains restricted because of confidentiality clauses in the Sexual Offences Act. Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi had initially promised to make the register public by February 2025 but later 'We have initiated a multi-stakeholder consultative process engaging key experts and institutions to facilitate compliance with the aim of releasing the register as soon as possible,' Kubayi said at the time. The register of sex offenders was established to track individuals convicted of sexual offences, particularly against vulnerable groups such as children and persons with mental disabilities. While not open to the public, it is accessible to employers who work with children or mentally disabled people, as well as government departments and institutions responsible for child protection. Employers are legally required to screen potential employees against the register before hiring them into such roles.
