Nqakula tackles Camerer

2003-06-06 14:25

Cape Town - Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula chided former New National Party deputy justice minister Sheila Camerer on Friday for failing in her duties during her term of office.

In a members' statement in the National Assembly, Camerer - now the Democratic Alliance's justice spokesperson - said the many victims of crime in South Africa "only get attention from government leaders when they are looking for photo opportunities.

"Then we hear them criticise our Constitution, lawyers, the law in general and the judges. But nothing is actually done to help crime victims."

For years the DA had been championing victims' rights. In particular, it had called for a Victims' Fund to help crime victims with medical expenses and other forms of compensation.

"After all, the state pays the medical expenses of criminals while the victims are ignored.

"We called for a Victims of Crime Fund, using money confiscated by the Asset Forfeiture Unit. Although the ANC agreed in principle years ago, they have done nothing."

Large amounts of money sat in the Criminal Assets Recovery Account, but nothing had been paid out to victims.

"The DA believes it is time to put your money where you mouth is, Mr Deputy President. Use the Fund to compensate the victims of crime in the gang-ridden Cape Flats," Camerer said.

In his reply, Nqakula said: "There are people in the gallery today and others out there who are listening to you as you are speaking.

"And they are asking the question 'Is this honourable member not the member who was deputy minister of justice of this country who ought to have designed the very programme she is talking about?'.

"And the people who are sitting here and the others who are out there are asking the second question 'Is it not possible that this honourable member belongs to this party (DA) which was ruling the Western Cape for three years; is it possible that she did not have this idea then?'.

"If she did not have this idea over three years, is it possible that she will have (had) this idea at any time in the past? But of course, people have an understanding about what is happening here.

"What she was raising was predictable, because their (the DA's) entire policy is based on only one thing - statistics," Nqakula said.

- SAPA