Parliament, Saturday, 28 November 2020 – The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ms Tina Joemat-Pettersson, welcomes the speedy arrest of a suspect in the Eastern Cape murder of a mother and five children.
According to Ms Joemat-Pettersson the speedy arrest of the suspect will inevitably restore hope among South Africans that the South African Police Service is capable of effective and rapid investigations. “We welcome the rapid response to this heinous crime that perpetuates the crisis of gender-based-violence (GBV) in South Africa. We urge the investigators to work in collaboration with the National Prosecuting Authority, to ensure that the case against the suspect is water-tight for effective and successful prosecution,” Ms Joemat-Pettersson emphasised.
Ms Joemat-Pettersson has highlighted her concern over the continuing maiming of women and children, the most vulnerable in our society. “As legislators we must urgently move to process the three new amendment Bills tabled in Parliament in the fight against the scourge of GVB,” Ms Joemat-Pettersson said.
She further suggested that the most important amendment that must be fast-tracked is the one that ensures that perpetrators of these heinous crimes are not granted bail and that they must rot in jail.
Ms Joemat-Pettersson said, although these amendments are important and necessary, they kick-in after the crime has been committed or a life has been lost. “We need to have a societal wide recommitment to fighting this scourge. Our society must find ways to deal effectively with the predisposition of violence against women,” reiterated Ms Joemat-Pettersson.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON POLICE, MS TINA JOEMAT-PETTERSSON.
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