Unions slam Jali Commission

2004-07-05 10:10

Sonja Carstens

Johannesburg - The Jali Commission charged with investigating corruption in prisons is a waste of taxpayers' money and has contributed to prison wardens' negative attitudes.

Public service trade unions on Sunday said the commission, led by Judge Thabani Jali, added to the "mounting frustrations" of wardens who embarked on alleged illegal strikes in several parts of the country at the weekend.

"The Jali Commission dampened the morale of wardens and did nothing to improve it. The department of correctional services' decision to reduce weekend staff by more than half was the final straw," Anton Louwrens, chief executive of the Public Servants Association, said on Sunday.

He said all their members, who were submitted to disciplinary hearings after testimony before the commission, were acquitted. "They were charged without real evidence being available. There were even cases where inmates threatened wardens with the commission. A lot of the evidence heard by the commission came from inmates who wanted to take revenge on wardens. The commission cost taxpayers millions but had no benefits," Louwrens said.

Abbey Witbooi, secretary of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) agreed. He said the commission highlighted problems that the department had been aware of "for years" but neglected to address.

Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour told the national council of provinces in his budget speech last week that he supported the work of the commission.

Balfour said the department had already benefited from the commission's interim reports and the investigations of the special investigations unit that resulted from these.

- Beeld