THE GAUTENG PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT BUDGET INCREASED BY R886.6 MILLION @KASIBC_NEWS

THE GAUTENG PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT BUDGET INCREASED BY R886.6 MILLION @KASIBC_NEWS 

The Gauteng Provincial Government is re-tabling the 2025/2026 Budget amounting to R172.3 billion. In the previously tabled Budget, tabled on the 18th of March 2025, we presented a provincial budget of R171.5 billion. This translates into an increase of R886.6 million. 

These additional resources were made possible through the provincial allocation of unspent funds and revenue over collection from the previous financial year.  Two weeks ago, there were reports circulating in the media stating that the Gauteng Provincial Government had underspent by R1.8 billion, and that these underspent funds would be returned to the National Treasury. On the 12th of May 2025, the Gauteng Provincial Treasury held a media briefing to address the concern that the underspent resources would no longer be available, or that they are lost by the Gauteng Provincial Government.  

We communicated that whatever funds could not be motivated would revert to the Provincial Revenue Fund and instructively, that these funds would remain available for re-allocation to programmes and projects, and that they were in no way lost by the Gauteng Provincial Government. 

The re-tabling of the provincial budget informed by the re-injection of the R886.6 million into the fiscus is confirmation of the truthfulness of the assertions that we made in the said media briefing. The developments that inform the re-tabling of the Gauteng Provincial Government’s Budget were also occasioned by extraordinary events at National Government level which saw the postponement of the National Budget that was initially scheduled for the 22nd of February 2025. The second attempt to table the national Budget was made on the 12th of March 2025 but ended with the withdrawal of the Division of Revenue Bill on account of substantive disagreements with proposed revenue generation mechanisms.  

The Minister of Finance, Honourable Enoch Godongwana, eventually tabled the National Budget to Parliament on the 21st of May 2025. The re-tabling of the national Budget by the Minister of Finance entailed amendments to the 2025 Fiscal Framework. The national Budget also considered political and economic developments in the global arena. 

These developments precipitated a wave of unprecedented uncertainty worldwide, and certainly on the African continent where we are having to re-think development aid and re-engineer our approach to revenue generation. It is on account of these developments that we had to write to the Speaker of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to withdraw the Provincial Appropriation Bill for 2025/2026 that we introduced to the Legislature on the 18th of March 2025. 

This was done so that we could re-table the Budget in compliance with Sections 26 and 27 of the Public Finance Management Act which instructs that the MEC responsible for Finance in a province must table the provincial budget for a financial year in a Provincial Legislature within a period of two weeks after the tabling of the national annual budget by the Minister of Finance.

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK OF SOUTH AFRICA AND THE GAUTENG PROVINCE 

The International Monetary Fund projects that world economy will grow by 2.8 percent in 2025. This is largely because of uncertainties caused by the new US tariffs regime and retaliatory tariffs by other countries. On the domestic front, the National Treasury has downgraded its projection of the real Gross Domestic Product from 1.9 percent to 1.4 percent for 2025, due to adverse domestic and global developments. 

Our situation is compounded by the fact that the global economy is likely to provide less than ideal demand for South African exports. While it has largely stabilised following years of shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic to the effects of the Russo-Ukrainian war, it has stabilised at a relatively low growth rate. South Africa’s economic performance remained fragile in 2024. 

The real economic output of Gauteng, which makes up 33.8 percent of South Africa’s GDP, is R1.57 trillion, (nominal GDP is R2.43 trillion). Furthermore, GP’s real growth rate was 0.8 percent on an annual basis for 2024. 

The overall risks to the global economy and nationally are tilted to the downside, with the escalating trade measures prominent. 

REBUILDING THE PROVINCIAL ECONOMY 

The Gauteng Provincial Government has a five-year budget approach that will facilitate provincial delivery based on the Medium-Term Development Plan, strategic plans, and annual performance plans for the 7th Administration. 

This approach is anchored on maintaining fiscal discipline and credibility, and impactful service delivery; responding to high-level provincial risks such as safety, economy, climate change and debt management; re-tabling of the 2025 Provincial Budget that is aligned with provincial strategic plans, annual performance plans, and other planning and budgeting engagements; and introducing, testing, and implementing immediate, short-term, and medium-term budget reforms over the 2025 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework. 

This is against the backdrop of a deteriorating fiscal position that is driven by declining revenue, mounting debt obligations, and an unsustainable wage bill. 

To ensure that we reach and even surpass these targets, provincial departments are implementing various strategies to enhance revenue collection, anchored on our provincial Revenue Enhancement Strategy that is underpinned by the following five (5) principles: 

1. Accelerating the completion of interventions that has already started. 

2. Optimising the existing revenue sources. 

3. Enhancing revenue collection processes and systems to increase efficiency, cost effectiveness, and eliminate leakages. 

4. Identifying potential new revenue sources that have not been explored. 

5. The use of alternative funding and implementation models to achieve more value. 

GAUTENG INVESTMENT CONFERENCE 

The Gauteng Investment Conference that we hosted in April 2025 successfully secured R312.5 billion in investment commitments across 60 projects, against a target of R300 billion that was initially set. 

The Investment Book presented at the Gauteng Investment Conference featured 117 projects across Gauteng’s economic corridors, totalling an estimated R239 billion in potential investment. These projects span key economic sectors including infrastructure, smart cities, agro-processing, manufacturing, automotive, ICT, and energy. 

The Investment Book offered investors a curated portfolio of initiatives at various stages of development, from concept to shovel-ready, providing critical insight into Gauteng’s development pipeline. Thus, the pledges secured mark a significant milestone toward the province’s R800 billion investment target over the next 5 years. 

These commitments span a wide array of sectors, geographies, and investor origins, illustrating Gauteng’s growing reputation as Africa’s investment epicentre. The Gauteng Provincial Government is working with various institutions, including the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) to convert these pledges into projects, to ensure that what has been committed to the work of the government and the people of Gauteng materialises and facilitates the sustainable economic growth and development that we are pursuing. 

THE 2025 MTEF BUDGET ALLOCATIONS AND RE-ALLOCATIONS 

The budget allocations to departments for 2025/2026 financial year provided in this media statement are a quantitative summary and must be read alongside the re-tabled Budget Speech for a comprehensive outline of the qualitative value and rationale, as well as the departments’ areas of prioritisation. 

The re-allocations are as follows: 

• In the 2025/2026 financial year, the Office of the Premier will receive an additional R50 million. 

• The Gauteng Department of Economic Development will receive R100 million. 

• The Gauteng Department of Human Settlements has been allocated R332 million.

• The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport will be allocated R314.9 million 

• For the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the newly established Gauteng Department of Environment, R23.8 million and R18 million, respectively, are allocated. 

• The Gauteng Department of Environment will also receive an additional R50 million. 

The allocation of these additional funds demonstrates that the overall thrust of our budget approach remains the resourcing of critical social and economic programmes that are the basis of the social wage with our people, notwithstanding the increasingly challenging economic environment. 

Budgets for other departments remain unchanged over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, and are as follows:

• The Gauteng Provincial Legislature receives R1.2 billion in 2025/2026, and it grows to R3 billion over the MTEF period. 

• The Gauteng Department of Health’s 2025/2026 financial year allocation amounts to R67.1 billion, and a total of R141.9 billion over the MTEF. 

• In the 2025/2026 financial year, the Gauteng Department of Education receives R68 billion, and cumulatively R211.2 billion over the MTEF. 

• The Gauteng Department of Social Development receives R5.4 billion for the 2025/2026 financial year, and R16.8 billion over the MTEF. 

• The Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance, Traditional Affairs and Urban Planning will be allocated R551.4 million in the 2025/2026 financial year and R1.7 billion over the MTEF. 

• In the 2025/2026 financial year, the Gauteng Department of Community Safety will receive R2.4 billion, and R6.8 billion over the MTEF.

 • The Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation will receive an amount of R1 billion in the 2025/2026 financial year and R3.1 billion over the MTEF. 

• The Gauteng Department of e-Government has been allocated an amount of R1.5 billion in the 2025/2026 financial year and R4.8 billion over the MTEF. • The Gauteng Provincial Treasury will receive R787.8 million in the 2025/2026 f inancial year, and cumulatively R2.4 billion over the MTEF. 

• The Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development’s allocation for the 2025/2026 financial year amounts to R3.6 billion, and cumulatively R10.8 billion over the MTEF. 

The 2025 MTEF Budget is characterised by compulsory baseline reductions across all Gauteng Provincial Government departments and entities, to accommodate the downward revision of the Provincial Equitable Share, and further baseline reductions to accommodate the provincial budget deficit. 

Despite the downward revision of budgets and reprioritisation within and between budget votes, the priorities highlighted in the State of the Province Address are funded in this 2025 MTEF Budget. 

We are confident that they will yield a measurable impact in delivering meaningful change for the people of Gauteng. 

CONCLUSION 

There must be no doubt, even in the face of challenges that we face, that Gauteng is still the economic nerve-centre of the regional economy. The challenges that we are confronted with are not insurmountable. 

The Gauteng Provincial Government will continue to prioritise the identification of efficiency gains and making trade-offs to fund government priorities. Fiscal discipline demands that the provincial and municipal governments maintain fiscal positions that are consistent with macroeconomic stability and sustained inclusive economic growth. 

Furthermore, provincial departments and entities must strengthen the exploration of alternative sources of funding to supplement the existing constrained revenue streams and thus enhance fiscal sustainability over the long-term. Public-private partnerships are going to be an anchor and vehicle to this approach and must be pursued committedly.

 

NPO FUNDING PAYMENTS @KASIBC_NEWS

NPO FUNDING PAYMENTS @KASIBC_NEWS 

The Gauteng Department of Social Development is ramping up the finalization of signing of SLAs with NPOs. Since the beginning of the current financial year, the Department has issued 1640 SLAs to NPOs, and 1424 of these have been signed and concluded.  The outstanding number of SLAs stands at 216, and warning letters were issued to the NPOs and the deadline for SLAs to be received back is this week. 

The Department would like to make a call to the outstanding NPOs to fast track the signing of SLAs. The Department has been meeting with NPOs which has positively resulted in increase in the number of SLAs received back.  

The Department would also like to report that 818 payments have been made against SLAs signed already, to the tune of R279 million. 

This number keeps improving as payment runs happen. The Department has been receiving media inquiries about the NPOs that have not been paid. Whilst we cannot discuss and divulge financial information of individual NPOs, we are calling on such NPOs to contact their regional offices and M & E officials for status of their SLAs.  

There have been delays with regards to organizations in the HIV & AIDS Sector to finalize SLAs due to compliance with the children's act, where all NPOs that deal with children must comply with the legislation regulating the child protection environment. 

The Department held a meeting with affected NPOs on Friday, and the matter has been resolved. 

The Democratic Alliance is also hopelessly trying to distract us from the work at hand but issuing populistic media statements which are nothing but an attempt to force relevance. 

MEC Mazibuko is more committed to ensuring that NPOs that meet all requirements are processed accordingly and won’t be involved in political mudslinging with the DA, a party that is failing to find resonance with the hearts and minds of people of Gauteng.   

BRUTAL MURDER OF LIKHONA FOSE @KASIBC_NEWS

BRUTAL MURDER OF LIKHONA FOSE @KASIBC_NEWS 

Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane is deeply saddened by the death of Likhona Fose, a 14-year-old Grade 8 girl learner at Ikusasalethu Secondary School in Braamfischerville, whose body was found mutilated in Roodepoort on Sunday, 1 June 2025. 

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has urgently deployed its Psycho-Social Support Unit at Ikusasalethu Secondary School to provide extensive counselling and trauma support to learners and teachers who may have been affected by this tragic incident. 

While police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding this brutal incident, we are devastated by the occurrence of young Likhona’s death during National Child Protection Week, where we raise awareness of the rights of children as articulated in our Constitution. Furthermore, the GDE stands with the nation in condemning all acts of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, especially where learners are concerned. 

It is our duty as a society to collectively support and champion our children’s education beyond the classroom, this includes ensuring the safety of our children at all costs to protect their future.  “As the Department, we cannot begin to express how deeply disheartened we are by the loss of Likhona, a young girl learner who had a bright future ahead of her. For her life to have been taken from her in such a brutal manner is unacceptable, and we call on law enforcement authorities to speedily apprehend those responsible for this heinous act. 

We wish to extend our sincerest condolences to the family and the school community of Ikusasalethu Secondary, assuring them that we share their pain,” said MEC Chiloane. 

THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FREEDOM CHARTER AND 39TH ANNIVERSARY OF YOUTH UPRISING @KASIBC_NEWS

THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FREEDOM CHARTER AND 39TH ANNIVERSARY OF YOUTH UPRISING @KASIBC_NEWS 

The African National Congress this month commemorates the 70th Anniversary of the Freedom Charter, adopted by the Congress of the People on 26 June 1955 in Kliptown, and pays tribute to the youth who took part in the 1976 Uprising, who rose in defiance on 16 June to confront the brutality of apartheid and demand justice in education and our nation. 

This is a sacred time of remembrance, reflection, and renewal, as we draw strength from the vision of those who came before us and recommit ourselves to the urgent tasks of today. We do not mark this month out of routine, nor do we merely look back. As President Oliver Reginald Tambo declared in 1980 during The Year of the Charter, we are called to rise to the occasion and to renew our pledge of dedication to the future it visualises. That future is not abstract. It is the daily struggle for a society in which The People Shall Govern, where The Doors of Learning and Culture Shall Be Open to All, and where There Shall Be Work and Security. 

That future is owed to our young people today, who are not only inheritors of a proud tradition of struggle, but also the builders of a new era. June 2025 is therefore not a commemoration of dates but a living call to conscience. It is a rallying cry to forge a just society where the promises of the Freedom Charter become lived realities for the youth, for women, for workers, and for those who have long been excluded from the full fruits of democracy. 

The Charter must not remain ink on paper or etched only in memory. It must be a tool of mobilisation, of education, and of transformation. 

This June is both Freedom Charter Month and Youth Month. The ANC reaffirms that the Charter is the soul of our democracy and a revolutionary programme that remains as relevant in 2025 as it was in 1955. Its ten clauses are the moral compass of our Constitution and our transformation agenda. In every community and ward, the ANC calls on branches, leagues and alliance partners to take up this campaign and use the Charter to illuminate our work in the fight against youth unemployment, gender-based violence, and the crisis of political trust and participation. 

The theme for Youth Month 2025, “Skills for the Changing World – Empowering Youth for Meaningful Economic Participation,” speaks directly to the demands of our time. It calls on all of us to act with intention, urgency, and clarity. Young people are not just the future; they are the present. They are calling for pathways into the economy, for dignity in work, for access to quality education, and for the right to shape decisions that affect their lives. 

The Charter’s call that “the people shall share in the country’s wealth” cannot be postponed. It must be realised through concrete investment in skills, industries, infrastructure, and public innovation. This month must also be a space of community activism and involvement in the fight against the scourge of violence against women and children. 

The brutal murder of Olorato Kganyago, and the many women, children, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community who continue to face violence and indignity, require from us not words but resolute action. The Charter tells us that all shall be equal before the law and this is not negotiable. GBVF is not a women’s issue; it is a national crisis. It is a direct threat to the democratic promise, and as a society we must uproot it at its core. 

Let this month be a turning point. Let us build spaces of safety and love, of positive masculinities, of respect and equality. We call on the youth of 2025 to be the generation that ends the scourge of violence and reclaims the streets, homes, schools, and workplaces for dignity and peace. As the ANC commemorates 40 years since the founding of COSATU later this year, and reflects on the 30th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, let us remember that none of these milestones are detached from the Charter. 

The struggles of workers, of women, of the disabled and the poor are all stitched together by that historic document, the Freedom Charter, which spoke not just of political rights, but of land, of housing, of healthcare, of education, of economy, of peace and friendship. Let June be the month in which the Charter speaks again, not only in lectures and posters, but in the voice of the unemployed graduate, in the demands of the township girl who insists on walking safely, in the call of the informal worker seeking recognition, and in the dignity of the child learning in their mother tongue. 

Let it speak in our policies, in our meetings, in our communities and in our streets. The ANC makes a rallying call to all sectors of society to rise to the occasion in affirming the hopes of 1955 and confronting the challenges of 2025 with unity, purpose and conviction. Let us make this Freedom Charter Month and Youth Month a living campaign of renewal. 

Let us honour the sacrifices of the youth of 1976 not through ceremony alone, but through action that transforms lives and upholds the values they fought for. In the coming days, the ANC will announce a series of programmes forming part of the official commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Freedom Charter. All power to the people. 

330 SUSPECTS ARRESTED DURING WEEKEND OPERATIONS @KASIBC_NEWS

330 SUSPECTS ARRESTED DURING WEEKEND OPERATIONS @KASIBC_NEWS 

Gauteng Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) are working tirelessly to ensure that criminals are brought to book. In past weekend, the Gauteng Traffic Police (GTP), Gauteng Traffic Wardens (GTWs), South African Police Service (SAPS) working with other Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) arrested more than 330 suspects during High Density Operations and Operation Shanela which took place from Friday, 30 May 2025 to Sunday, 01 June 2025, across all five regions in Gauteng. 

The City of Ekurhuleni recorded a total of 69 arrests within Etwatwa, Tembisa, Benoni, Springs, Boksburg, Benoni, Tokoza, Dunnotar, Norkem Park, Duduza, Primrose and Zonkizizwe amongst others. Noting that, 15 suspects were arrested for drinking and driving, 14 for possession of drugs and 05 for selling liquor without a license. 

In total, 944 people and 416 cars were searched in the city. In the City of Tshwane, officials arrested 96 suspects in Mabopane, Akasia, Mamelodi, Sunnyside and Olievenhoutbosch. Amongst those arrests, 38 suspects were apprehended for public drinking, 17 for drinking and driving, 10 for contravening the immigration act and 08 for theft. 642 people and 284 vehicles were searched in the city. 80 suspects were apprehended in the Sedibeng District Municipality for cases which include 28 suspects for drinking and driving, 24 suspects for contravention of the immigration act and 19 suspects for possession of drugs. 1198 people and 450 vehicles were searched, while the operations took place in Sebokeng, Orange Farm, Evaton, Vanderbijil Park, Boipatong and the Barrage.  In the West Rand District Municipality, 67 suspects were arrested in Mohlakeng and Westonaria, 40 of those emanated from Operation Shanela. 

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Suspects were arrested for cases which include possession of suspected stolen property, contravention of the immigration act, drunk driving and assault GBH amongst others. 999 people and 532 vehicles were searched in the municipality.  Law enforcement agencies in the City of Johannesburg arrested 18 suspects for cases possession of drugs and contravention of the immigration act. 500 people and 160 vehicles were searched, and one vehicle was recovered during the operations. 

The operations targeted Dobsonville, Doornkop, Protea Glen, Naledi and Ennerdale. “The Department commends the law enforcement officials for their continued efforts in collaborating and making these arrests. Drinking and driving, public drinking, possession of drugs and dealing in drugs are a sore thorn that officials are continuously dealing with decisively,” said Gauteng Department of Community Safety Spokesperson, Mr Ofentse Morwane. 

DR DEATH, DR WOUTER BASSON JUDGEMENT DAY @KASIBC_NEWS

DR DEATH, DR WOUTER BASSON JUDGEMENT DAY @KASIBC_NEWS 

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) welcomes the decision by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) to proceed with disciplinary proceedings against Dr. Wouter Basson, infamously known as “Dr. Death” due to his egregious involvement in chemical and biological warfare programs under the apartheid regime. 

This development follows a response to a question for written reply placed by the EFF in the National Assembly, where the Minister of Health, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, confirmed that the HPCSA will pursue disciplinary action against Dr. Basson for medical malpractice. This action comes after an earlier attempt to bring disciplinary proceedings against Dr. Basson was derailed due to procedural irregularities. 

The EFF commends the Medical and Dental Professions Board for rectifying these shortcomings and ensuring that the disciplinary process is now on track. Dr. Basson’s legal team has indicated, through his attorneys, that he intends to oppose the disciplinary hearing. However, the EFF remains resolute that justice must prevail, and those responsible for heinous acts, particularly those committed under the guise of medical practice, must face the full consequences of their actions. 

Dr. Wouter Basson’s involvement in the apartheid regime’s chemical and biological warfare program, known as Project Coast, represents one of the darkest chapters in South Africa’s medical and political history. 

His actions, which included the development and use of chemical agents to harm and kill anti-apartheid activists, constitute a gross violation of medical ethics and human rights. 

These acts were not only a betrayal of the Hippocratic Oath but also a crime against humanity. The fact that Dr. Basson has continued to practice as a cardiologist in Cape Town, with no significant repercussions for his past, is an affront to justice and an insult to the victims of his atrocities. 

The EFF insists that Dr. Basson must be immediately suspended from practicing medicine pending the outcome of the HPCSA’s disciplinary proceedings. Allowing him to continue treating patients while these serious allegations remain unresolved undermines public trust in the medical profession and the regulatory bodies tasked with upholding its integrity. 

The HPCSA has a moral and legal obligation to protect the public from practitioners who have demonstrated a flagrant disregard for ethical standards. Suspension is the bare minimum to ensure that no further harm is caused while the disciplinary process unfolds. 

The EFF is outraged that, to date, Dr. Basson has faced no meaningful consequences for his actions. His ability to evade accountability for so long is a stark reminder of the systemic failures that continue to shield perpetrators of apartheid-era crimes. The medical profession, which is built on the principles of saving lives and alleviating suffering, cannot allow individuals like Dr. Basson to tarnish its reputation. His continued practice as a cardiologist is not only a miscarriage of justice but also a betrayal of the values that the healthcare profession holds dear. 

The EFF will not rest until Dr. Basson is held fully accountable. Beyond the disciplinary proceedings, we believe that he ought to face criminal charges and imprisonment for the terrible crimes he committed during the apartheid era. The HPCSA’s actions, while a step in the right direction, are insufficient on their own. The broader justice system must act decisively to ensure that those who orchestrated and executed atrocities under apartheid are brought to book. 

Dr. Basson’s case is a litmus test for South Africa’s commitment to justice, reconciliation, and the eradication of impunity. We call on the HPCSA to expedite the disciplinary process and ensure that it is conducted with transparency, fairness, and urgency. 

The public deserves to know that the institutions tasked with regulating the medical profession are unwavering in their commitment to upholding ethical standards. Furthermore, we urge the South African government to revisit the broader issue of accountability for apartheid-era crimes, particularly those committed under the pretext of scientific or medical work. 

The victims of Project Coast and their families deserve justice, and the nation deserves closure. The EFF stands firm in its pursuit of justice for all South Africans. We will continue to monitor the progress of Dr. Basson’s disciplinary hearing and advocate for his suspension and eventual removal from the medical profession. 

We also call on all South Africans to join us in demanding accountability for those who have committed crimes against humanity, ensuring that our country moves forward as a just and equitable society. The struggle for justice is far from over. 

The EFF will not waver in its commitment to ensuring that those who have violated the dignity and rights of our people face the consequences of their actions. Dr. Wouter Basson must be held accountable, and his suspension is the first step toward achieving this goal. 

POLLSMOOR PRISONERS AWOL @KASIBC_NEWS

POLLSMOOR PRISONERS AWOL @KASIBC_NEWS 

The DA rejects the statement by Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald, who continues to deny his department’s role in the disappearance of three convicted criminals from custody. It is clear the Minister is being misled by officials desperate to cover up a shocking administrative failure that endangered public safety.

The three men—convicted of murder, rape, and robbery—were remanded to Pollsmoor Juvenile Centre by order of the Western Cape High Court after attacking a child youth care worker last year. One, Xolani du Preez, was re-arrested in April for robbery. A second, Mikyle Mentoor, was apprehended this week after whistle-blowers and the community responded to DA pressure. A third, a convicted rapist, remains unaccounted for.

The Minister’s attempt to shift blame to the Western Cape Department of Social Development is misleading. That department has no role in custodial decisions, warrants, or the implementation of court orders. Those responsibilities fall squarely on Correctional Services and the courts—as clearly set out in the court order.

The DA uncovered this scandal during an unannounced oversight visit to Pollsmoor two weeks ago, which revealed that two of the three criminals were no longer in custody. This directly contradicts the Minister’s written assurance to Parliament on 12 May that all three remained detained.

That false assurance is now the lie the Minister is trying to cover up.

It took Minister Groenewald two weeks to respond to DA questions and begin what he calls a “preliminary investigation.” In reality, such an investigation should have concluded within 48 hours of discovering that high-risk offenders had vanished. Even more concerning is that SAPS has reportedly still not been informed of the missing rapist, and there is no confirmation that the victims have been notified.

Both the Ministers of Correctional Services and Justice were cited as respondents in the High Court application ordering the detention of these individuals. The court papers made it clear that they were convicted criminals and outlined the legal mechanisms for their continued custody. The DA has now submitted parliamentary questions to the Minister of Justice to determine why these measures were not implemented.

Had the DA not intervened, the public would still be unaware that two violent offenders were missing. The Minister insists it is “inaccurate” to say the men were missing—but that is exactly what they were, and one remains so.

The DA has written again to the Chairperson of the Select Committee on Security and Justice to demand urgent appearances by both Ministers. The officials who misled Parliament on 12 May must be removed from any internal investigations due to a clear conflict of interest.

No amount of spin can hide the truth: government departments failed, the Minister misled Parliament, and public safety was never prioritised. The DA will continue pushing for full accountability and a correctional system that the public can trust.