Parliament, Wednesday, 18 March 2025 – The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Mr Ian Cameron, has noted the comments made by Major-General Tshilidzi Mulaudzi, the head of the South African Police Service Forensic Science Laboratory, on the current 140 000 DNA case backlog. While the Chairperson agrees that in an ideal environment, having a laboratory in every province is desirable, this view disregards the systematic challenges that remain unresolved within the FSL.
“The views held by Major-General Mulaudzi obfuscates the current challenges and provide unrealistic solutions within the South African context. The SAPS must deal with systematic issues that affect the FSL currently and not seek pie-in-the-sky solutions that cannot be achieved within the current fiscal challenges faced by the country,” Mr Cameron said.
The reality is that the current backlog has surged to over 140 000 cases, primarily due to systemic issues, such as underfunding, poor planning and inadequate support, rather than merely a shortage of facilities. Furthermore, critical forensic instruments have been non-operational since 2020 because of expired maintenance contracts, highlighting severe mismanagement within the FSL. Also, inadequate storage has led to case files being stored in corridors and exhibits falling off shelves in overcrowded safe rooms, posing serious health and safety risks for staff.
If these risks are not addressed, they will continue to negatively affect the division, even if they have many facilities around the country. “These challenges are purely due to poor management and inadequate planning and the continued undermining of science in resolving criminal cases. If the leadership of SAPS continue to bury their heads in the sand, solutions will never be found,” Mr Cameron said.
The Chairperson urged the SAPS management to find workable solutions to the current challenges to ensure and protect public trust in the criminal justice system. “The continued obfuscation will further exacerbate the challenges,” Mr Cameron concluded.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON POLICE, MR IAN CAMERON.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairpersons, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Malatswa Molepo (Mr)
Parliamentary Communication Services
Tel: 021 403 8438
Cell: 081 512 7920
E-mail: mmolepo@parliament.gov.za
Arrange a tour