Verskeie belangrike aangeleenthede is bespreek tydens ‘n vergadering wat op 12 September 2024 gehou is tussen die Landelike Veiligheids- en Veediefstalforum Noord-Kaap en die Nasionale Vervolgingsgesag (NVG) van die Noord-Kaap.
Several important matters were discussed during a meeting held on 12 September 2024 between the Rural Security and Livestock Theft Forum Northern Cape and the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) of the Northern Cape.
- Dokumente verdwyn uit dossiere in die hof.
Spesifieke gevalle, mense wat betrokke is, datums en tye moet verskaf word om ‘n behoorlike ondersoek na die saak te doen. ‘n Begrip van wie, wat en waar en hoe die dokumente verlore raak, is nodig om die omvang van die probleem te bepaal en om te identifiseer of dit ‘n administratiewe probleem is; of dit ‘n spesifieke individu is; en of daar ‘n groep mense is wat saamwerk.
- Kommunikasie tussen aanklaer en klaers
Kommer is uitgespreek dat die eiser nie dikwels die geleentheid kry om met die staatsaanklaer oor die saak te kommunikeer om agtergrond te gee oor hoe die misdaad die eiser beïnvloed het nie. Die NVG het daarop gewys dat daar ‘n gespesialiseerde afdeling genaamd die CPO (Court Preparation Officers) bestaan wat instruksies van die aanklaer kry om die partye te kontak en die hofverrigtinge te bespreek. Hierdie konsultasie moet voor die aanvang van die hofsaak plaasvind. Die besluit is egter diskresionêr van die aanklaer om te besluit watter eisers hierdie diens benodig. Die vergadering is ingelig dat die NVG van volgende jaar af deur die ouditeur-generaal geoudit sal word sover dit elektroniese dokumentasie betref. Die NVG is besig met die digitalisering van alle dokumente wat die probleme sal aanspreek van dokumente wat verlore raak uit dossiere, sowel as korrupsie. Beide die SAPD en die NVG het elektroniese stelsels in plek, maar dit is dikwels moeilik om daaraan te verbind, veral in die landelike gebiede van die Noord-Kaap. Dit belemmer die doeltreffendheid van hierdie proses. ‘n Versoek is gerig vir ‘n gesprek tussen verskillende belanghebbendes en privaat vennote om dié saak aan te spreek.
- Vonnisoplegging en parool
Die gemeenskap se sentiment is gedeel dat die vonnisoplegging vir veediefstalsake en sommige geweldsmisdade nie voldoende is nie en dat hierdie misdadigers maklik parool kry. Vonnisse vir ernstige misdade behoort nie gelyktydig uitgedien te word nie en parool moet op die totale vonnistydperk bereken word. As ‘n persoon skuldig bevind word aan ‘n misdaad en twee vonnisse van 20 jaar elk kry, maar die vonnisse gelyktydig uitdien, moet parool op 40 jaar geëvalueer word en nie op ‘n 20-jaar-basis nie. Die verteenwoordigers van die NVG is ook gefrustreed met hierdie aspek, maar die paroolproses val buite hul mandaat. Die NVG het aanbeveel dat ‘n impakstudie ten opsigte van veediefstal en landelike veiligheid in die Noord-Kaap onderneem word wat as ‘n instrument kan dien om dié probleme aan te spreek.
- Samewerking tussen die NVG en die SAPD
Daar is frustrasie van die SAPD dat hulle harde werk gedoen het om die sake te ondersoek en bewyse in te vorder en sodra die saak in die hof kom, word dit van die rol geskrap of teruggetrek. Die versoek is gerig dat die dossiere ge-evalueer word voordat dit hof toe gaan om te verseker dat daar geen tegniese kwessies is wat kan lei tot die ontslag, terugtrek van die saak, of dat dit van die rol geskrap word of uitgestel word nie. Die digitalisering van die dossiere sal van groot waarde wees, aangesien kontrole en teenwigte dan ingestel kan word om suksesvolle skuldigbevinding in die kortste moontlike tydperk te verseker. Die NVG het voorgestel dat ‘n werksessie tussen alle belanghebbendes gehou word om leiding te gee ten opsigte van vereistes en om die probleme wat ervaar word te bespreek en met oplossings vorendag te kom.
- Uitstel van sake
Vertragingstaktiek, ook bekend as die Stalingrad-metode, wat deur beskuldigdes gevolg word, lei dikwels tot frustrasie by die aanklaers, die SAPD en die eisers.
- Erkenning van skulddokument J534
Feite moet ingesamel word om te bepaal waarom die opsie van skulderkenning via ‘n J534-vorm aangebied word en die boete wat opgelê is teenoor die misdaad wat gepleeg is. Dié proses kan slegs deur die SAPD aangebied word aan ‘n persoon wat op vermoede van ‘n minder ernstige misdaad in hegtenis geneem word.
- Korrupsie in die vorm van kaderontplooiing
Daar sal geen verdraagsaamheid wees teenoor enige amptenaar wat verdink word van korrupsie in die vorm van kaderontplooiing nie.
- Herinskrywing of onttrek of geskrap uit die rolsake
‘n Versoek kan gerig word om sake wat van die rol geskrap is of teruggetrek is, te heropen. Die klaer moet ‘n vertoë by die aanklaer indien. Die saak sal dan op meriete geherevalueer word en redes sal verskaf word waarom dit in die eerste plek gebeur het en wat gedoen moet word om ‘n ander uitkoms te verseker.
- Die gebruik van kameramateriaal as getuienis in hofsake
Die NVG het ‘n lys aangevra van waar die kameras geleë is en hoe die materiaal bekom kan word. ‘n Vergadering sal met die Forum en die betrokke partye van die NVG gereël word om die vereistes, die proses om die inligting te bekom, ens te bespreek.
- Bespoediging van DNS-toetsing
Die NVG sal ‘n lys van die sake beskikbaar stel wat tans uitgestel is weens die feit dat DNS-uitslae nie ontvang is nie en die Forum sal sy lede kontak om te vra of hulle bereid is om vir privaat toetse te betaal. Die eiser moet hierdie versoek dan skriftelik aan die aanklaer voorlê sodat die hof die privaat fasiliteit kan aanstel om die toetsing te doen.
- Behandel veediefstal as ‘n prioriteitsmisdaad
Die NVG onderneem om te verseker dat kundige aanklaers wat ‘n behoorlike begrip van veeboerdery en landbou het vir veediefstalsake aangestel sal word.
- Opleiding van amptenare om te spesialiseer in veediefstalsake in die hof
‘n Aanklaer van die NVG kan gebruik word om leiding en opvoeding in die gemeenskap te gee, veral waar potslagtings plaasvind. Die NVG moet die Forum ‘n riglyn gee oor die vereistes om aanklaers op te lei om in veediefstalsake te spesialiseer sodat daar vir die nodige befondsing aansoek gedoen kan word.
- Documents disappear from files in court
Specific cases, people involved, dates and times must be provided to conduct a proper investigation into the matter. An understanding of who, what and where and how the documents are lost is necessary to determine the extent of the problem and to identify whether it is an administrative problem; whether a specific individual is responsible for this; and whether there is a group of people working together.
- Communication between prosecutor and complainants
Concerns were raised that the claimant does not often have the opportunity to communicate with the state prosecutor about the case to provide background and how the crime affected the claimant. The NPA pointed out that there is a specialised division called the CPO (Court Preparation Officers) that receives instructions from the prosecutor to contact the parties and discuss the court proceedings. This consultation must take place before the court case commences. However, the decision is discretionary and the prosecutor will decide which claimants need this service. The meeting was informed that from next year the NPA will be audited by the auditor-general as far as electronic documentation is concerned. The NPA is working on the digitisation of all documents which will address the problems of documents being lost from files, as well as corruption. Both the SAPS and the NPA have electronic systems in place, but it is often difficult to connect to them, especially in the rural areas of the Northern Cape. This hinders the efficiency of this process. A request has been made for a discussion between different stakeholders and private partners to address this matter.
- Sentencing and parole
The community’s sentiment was shared that the sentencing for livestock theft cases and some violent crimes is not sufficient and that these criminals are easily paroled. Sentences for serious crimes should not be served concurrently and parole should be calculated on the total sentence period. If a person is convicted of a crime and receives two sentences of 20 years each, but serves the sentences concurrently, parole must be evaluated at 40 years and not on a 20-year basis. The representatives of the NPA are also frustrated with this aspect, but the parole process is not part of their mandate. The NPA has advised that an impact study be undertaken with regard to livestock theft and rural security in the Northern Cape, which can serve as an instrument to address these problems.
- Cooperation between the NPA and the SAPS
There is frustration from SAPS that their hard work is negated when cases is deleted from the roll or withdrawn as soon as it reaches the court. The request was made that the dossiers be evaluated before they go to court to ensure that there are no technical issues that could lead to the dismissal, withdrawal of the case, or it being struck from the roll or postponed. The digitisation of the files will be of great value, as checks and balances can then be introduced to ensure successful conviction in the shortest possible period of time. The NPA suggested that a workshop be held between all stakeholders to provide guidance regarding requirements and to discuss the problems experienced and come up with solutions.
- Adjournment of cases
Delay tactics, also known as the Stalingrad method, used by defendants often lead to frustration with the prosecutors, the SAPS and the plaintiffs.
- Acknowledgment of debt document J534
Facts must be gathered to determine why the plea option is offered via a J534 form and the penalty imposed against the crime committed. This process can only be offered by SAPS to a person who is arrested on suspicion of a less serious crime.
- Corruption in the form of cadre deployment
There will be zero tolerance towards any official suspected of corruption in the form of cadre deployment.
- Re-enrol or withdrawn or deleted from the roll cases
A request can be made to reopen cases that have been struck off the roll or withdrawn. The complainant must submit a representation to the prosecutor. The case will then be re-evaluated on its merits and reasons will be provided as to why it happened in the first place and what needs to be done to ensure a different outcome.
- The use of camera footage as evidence in court cases
The NPA has requested a list of where the cameras are located and how the footage can be obtained. A meeting will be arranged with the forum and the relevant parties of the NPA to discuss the requirements, the process to obtain the information, etc.
- Speeding up DNA testing
The NPA will make available a list of the cases currently adjourned due to the fact that DNA results have not been received and the forum will contact its members to ask if they are willing to pay for private tests. The claimant must then present this request in writing to the prosecutor so that the court can appoint the private facility to do the testing.
- Treat livestock theft as a priority crime
The NPA undertakes to ensure that expert prosecutors who have a proper understanding of livestock and agriculture will be appointed for livestock theft cases.
- Training of officials to specialise in livestock theft cases in court
A prosecutor from the NPA can be used to provide guidance and education in the community, especially where pot slaughter takes place. The NPA should give the Forum a guideline on the requirements to train prosecutors to specialise in livestock theft cases, in order to apply for funding.