Please find attached soundbite by Adv. Glynnis Breytenbach MP.
– Process for NPA budget independence begins.
– Prosecutors need resources, not bureaucracy.
– Stronger NPA means safer communities.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has been successful in our sustained fight for greater independence of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). If the NPA has control over its own budget, it can finally fill vacant prosecutor positions, provide training for new entrants and keep experienced prosecutors around. This will increase capacity at the NPA to convict criminals and keep South Africans safe.
The Appropriations Report adopted by the National Assembly today recommends that the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development and the National Director of Public Prosecutions review the NPA’s budgetary arrangements. Because of sustained pressure by the DA, a separate budget vote or a direct allocation for the NPA must be considered. This is a crucial first step in rebuilding the prosecution service into an independent, efficient and capable institution feared by criminals.
The best way to deter crime is through certainty of swift prosecution. No person will commit a crime if they know there is no chance of getting away with it. That is the task of the NPA, a task it can’t fulfil if it is dependent on the Department of Justice for resources. An NPA with its own budget and the capacity to do its job without fear or favour will deter criminals.
The inclusion of this recommendation means that the Minister of Finance must begin the process and consider budgetary independence for the NPA. We are certain of the support of all parties and stakeholders in this matter – keeping citizens safe is never up for debate.
This is DA action in the GNU – We have made sure that voters’ voices are heard and used our position in the GNU to improve the fight against crime.