The DA wants police and justice ministers to accounts for this week's fatal shoot incident and security failures exposed, including a broken metal detector and poor contractor oversight, at the Wynberg Magistrate's Court.
Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
The DA wants Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi to be hauled before Parliament to answer in connection with the shooting that took place at the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court earlier this week.
This comes hot on the heels of a visit by a top official of the Justice Department to the court on Thursday to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident that claimed the life of an accused person shortly after a court appearance on Wednesday.
Department spokesperson Kgalalelo Masibi said Director-General Doctor Mashabane directed the installation of a security scanner, tightening access control to prosecutors’ and magistrates’ offices, and enhanced vetting of court officials.
“The director-general further directed that officials urgently finalise a report on the entire incident, which will be submitted to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi, and Chief Justice Mandisa Maya,” Masibi said.
However, the DA insists that Mchunu and Kubayi should account for the fatal shooting incident and security failures exposed, including a broken metal detector and poor contractor oversight.
“The DA calls on the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Police to account to Parliament for the continued failures in securing our communities, our prisons – and now also our courts.
“We will be requesting that these ministers appear before the Justice Committee and the Select Committee on Security and Justice, respectively,” said the party’s MPs Glynnis Breytenbach and Nicholas Gotsell.
They said the Justice Department spends exorbitant amounts of money on contracts to provide security at courts, yet the perpetrator was able to enter the building with a firearm due to a metal detector not functioning.
Breytenbach and Gotsell said Kubayi must provide answers to how such a catastrophic failure could be allowed to take place by security contractors.
“While we note the Justice Committee's proactive steps to conduct an oversight inspection at the Wynberg Magistrate's Court, the issue stems much deeper to all the courts and we, therefore, request the minister account for this incident in front of the committee,” they said.
The incidents attracted condemnation from parties, civil society, and interest groups.
Chairperson of the Justice Portfolio Committee Xola Nqola said he struggled to comprehend how criminals could take a court and turn it into a murder scene.
“What is more worrying is the fact that these brutal attackers walked into a court building while armed when they shot the witness in the lobby. The question now is, how did they manage to enter the building with firearms without being detected?” he asked.
Nqola said the committee’s visit to various courts in KwaZulu-Natal last month found most of the metal detectors not functioning.
“We need to revisit the security at all our courts for the safety of the judges, magistrates, advocates, lawyers, and the public daily, unsuspectingly assuming they are safe when entering the buildings,” said Nqola.
The Public Servants Association said the incident has raised serious concerns about security measures at the court.
“This is not an isolated incident, as similar occurrences have been reported at Wynberg and other courts.”
The union said the incident underscored the pressing need for improved security protocols in South Africa's judicial system.
The incident happened amid a written response by Kubayi from IFP MP Khethamabala Sithole, who enquired about what immediate measures her department has taken to enhance the safety and security of court personnel, legal practitioners, and members of the public within and around the judicial precincts after the recent violent incident outside the Lenasia Magistrate’s Court.
The minister said all judicial precincts were guarded by 5 584 security guards on a 24-hour basis in all nine provinces.
At least 105 courts have CCTV to provide and enhance internal and external monitoring while 45% of the judicial precincts have perimeter fences.
Kubayi said a security strategy of the department has proposed new ways to address the security gaps in all the courts.
“A medium-term plan has been incorporated into the annual performance plan of the department to install new electronic security measures in the different courts to enhance the safety and security of court personnel, legal practitioners and members of the judiciary and members of the public who visit courts daily,” she said.
The minister said her department was working with other departments within the justice cluster to safeguard witnesses when they come to court, including the members of the judiciary.
“The department will establish an Integrated Justice Security Committee (IJSS) with all related stakeholders which contributes to court efficiency to increase collaboration and teamwork in developing working security solutions for court buildings,” Kubayi added.
mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za