South Africa’s two biggest opposition parties are sceptical of Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula’s proposal to lengthen the 48-hour period before an arrested suspect has to appear in court.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Thursday it was outrageous for Nqakula to call for the constitutionally enshrined detention period to be extended because police did not have enough time to formulate charges.
”The Constitution should under no circumstances be meddled with to compensate for the chronic non-performance of a government department,” DA safety and security spokesperson Dianne Kohler-Barnard said in a statement.
It harked back to the dark days of the apartheid era, and, given the minister’s own history of being detained, it was ironic he now wanted new powers requiring constitutional amendments.
Kohler-Barnard said the police’s inability to press charges against suspects had nothing to do with the 48-hour period, but a lot to do with both Nqakula and national police commissioner Jackie Selebi’s ”poor leadership”.
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) said an extension of the 48-hour period was unwarranted.
”The IFP does not believe that an extension to the 48-hour detention period will improve the current situation in the fight against crime,” IFP safety and security spokesperson Velaphi Ndlovu said in a statement.
The IFP has always been of the view diligent and progressive policing began with the selection of good staff.
Nqakula should focus his attention on improving the personnel crisis within the South African Police Service, as well as making all necessary resources available to speedily employ and retain the correct calibre of police officer, he said.
Both parties were reacting to Nqakula telling Parliament’s safety and security portfolio committee on Wednesday that the 48-hour period did not give police enough time to formulate charges against suspects.
The minister said he had appointed lawyers to look into the issue. — Sapa