Cape Town - Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola on Wednesday said the government was doing everything in its power to respond to the financial challenges faced by the Zondo commission in order to complete its mandate.
“We have to make sure that the mandate of the commission is not frustrated by the work we do ourselves,” Lamola said.
He made the statement when he was responding to a follow-up question from ACDP MP Steve Swart during a question and answer session that related to Finance Minister Tito Mboweni not allocating additional funding to the commission when he tabled the Budget for 2020/21 two weeks ago.
This was despite the commission’s term being extended by another three months by an order of the court.
Speaking to journalists on Budget Day, Mboweni said the commission should finish it work.
“I don’t think I am going to sign off on another tranche of cash to the commission,” he said at a press conference.
This prompted Swart yesterday to say they were concerned about the lack of additional resources given by Mboweni to the Zondo Commission
He asked if Lamola viewed that as further constraints to the commission.
Lamola said the non-provision of additional funding to the commission was a further constraint on the commission.
“We are in engagement with National Treasury to ensure it does complete its work. There are challenges with budget of the commission,” he said.
“We did not anticipate that it would handle matters of this magnitude which are to be broadened and are complex,” the minister said.
“We have to respond to the present challenges the commission is confronted with hence we are in discussion with the secretary of the commission and the director-general of the Department of Justice together with the National Treasury to find a solution.
“What we can assure the people of South Africa is that the commission will conclude its work and we will find resources for it to conclude its work,” Lamola said.
The minister also told the MPs that they were finding ways to help the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) with resources with the little resources that were available.
Lamola said the fiscus and financial challenges were well-known in the country.
“Within justice we able to find ways to help NPA with little resources.
“We are in the process to establish four special crime courts in Limpopo, Giyani; Mpumalanga, Mbombela; Northern Cape, Kimberley and North West in Mmabatho,” he said, adding that there were also contract prosecutors being appointed on a three-year period.
“This is in addition to the arsenal we are putting in place to ensure backlogs in the Special Crime Court decrease and enable resolution of some of the criminal cases and fast-track the court roll as exacerbated by Covid-19.”