South Africa’s Finance Minister, Tito Mboweni has said the government will over the next three years allocate R213.4 billion to ensure an effective and efficient criminal justice system.
Security Watch Africa reports that the figure accounts for 12.1 percent of the country’s consolidated expenditure, declining from R218.6 billion in 2020/2021 to R213.4 billion in 2023/2024.
Mboweni said: “ most departments in this function are labour intensive, which means that spending reductions primarily affect personnel. This requires rationalising organisational structures to avoid compromising frontline services and operations. ”
Recall that the National Treasury had in the Budget Review said over the medium term, compensation of employees decreased by R64.7 billion, implying a reduction in personnel.
The minister further stated that the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development is allocated R1.8 billion over the medium term to improve business processes.
He said through the Justice Modernisation Programme, the department aims to develop electronic systems to improve service delivery. He said: “ Various court administration processes will be provided online.”
Mboweni added that R105 million has been set aside for the Information Regulator to appoint 54 new personnel to enforce compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (2013) and the Promotion of Access to Information Act (2000).
Meanwhile, president Cyril Ramaphosa recently assented to the Border Management Authority Act (2020), which establishes the Border Management Authority as a public entity.
Treasury said the entity will cooperate and coordinate border law enforcement functions with other organs of state and border communities, among other functions.
“ A total of R124.9 million is allocated over the medium term to operationalize this entity. Border safeguarding efforts will be bolstered by R3.6 billion in the Department of Defence’s baseline over the medium term, ” he said.