Parliament has been sidelined in favour of the press by Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula, the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) spokesperson for safety and security, Dianne Kohler-Barnard, said in a statement on Tuesday.
“He stated categorically in an answer to a Parliamentary question that he would release crime statistics to Parliament — and the public — before the end of September. He failed to do this and instead will release the statistics at a press conference in Pretoria tomorrow [Wednesday], three working days after Parliament went into recess,” Kohler-Barnard said.
The secretary for Parliament’s safety and security portfolio committee confirmed to the DA that the Department of Safety and Security had not given notice of its intention to present its annual report to the portfolio committee this term, and would consequentially only be able to present it when Parliament sits again on October 10, she said.
“For a minister to make a categorical statement in response to a Parliamentary question, and then fail to deliver on that statement, sets an entirely unacceptable precedent. Minister Nqakula’s failure to keep his promise is yet another indication of his flagrant contempt for the public,” the DA stated.
“This latest bungle is yet another indication of the department’s shoddy organisation, poor leadership and lack of transparency. The failure by Minister Nqakula to deliver on even the smallest of promises, such as releasing the crime stats on time, is indicative of much greater failures,” the DA added.
According to the official opposition, Nqakula has “steadfastly denied the public the right to access up-to-date crime statistics”.
“His deputy stated in Parliament that there was no moratorium on crime statistics, yet the South African Police Service around the country still believes there is a moratorium and refuse to release them.
“All this on top of the fact that these self-same statistics have been criticised by experts in the field, not only for being unreliable, but also for only being released once a year.
“First the minister tells those who complain about having been attacked to leave the country, and now he misleads Parliament. What more can the minister do to show his contempt for the South African public?” the DA asked. — I-Net Bridge