Action Society warns that the allocations announced in today’s Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement risk becoming another exercise in lip service unless government publishes a costed implementation plan to strengthen investigations, eliminate forensic delays and bring perpetrators of violence against women and children to justice.
The speech announces R186 million for forensic and investigative capacity under its gender-based violence and femicide commitments. However, it does not explain how much will reach specialist police units and forensic laboratories, which vacancies will be filled or what improvements victims can expect and by when.
“Government cannot expect applause simply for attaching a rand value to its promises. A woman waiting for DNA results or a family watching a murder case stall needs to know when the evidence will be processed and who is responsible for moving the investigation forward,” says Juanita du Preez, national spokesperson for Action Society.
The speech allocates R823 million for military assistance to police against gang-related crime and illegal mining. While this funds a different intervention, it demonstrates government’s willingness to commit substantial resources to an immediate operational response. Action Society demands the same urgency and clarity for the sustained investigative work needed to address violence against women and children.
“The public deserves to know how government decided that R186 million would meet the forensic and investigative needs identified in its GBVF response. What assessment informed this amount? How many additional analysts and specialist detectives will it fund? What reduction in backlogs will it purchase? The speech leaves these questions unanswered,” says Du Preez.
Action Society acknowledges the announced recruitment of social workers and expansion of sexual offences courts and Thuthuzela Care Centres. These services are essential, but must be supported by effective investigations and prosecution capacity.
“Social workers cannot replace detectives, and additional courts cannot resolve cases that never reach trial because evidence is outstanding. Government must fund and repair the entire route from reporting an offence to securing a conviction.”
Action Society further calls for public-private partnerships to form part of a lasting solution to forensic capacity constraints. Accredited private laboratories and specialist technical expertise should be brought into a structured programme to help process evidence and strengthen capacity, with strict safeguards for evidence integrity, transparent procurement and independently audited performance.
“The same speech promotes public-private partnerships for infrastructure. Government must apply that willingness to draw on outside expertise to the forensic failures that delay justice. These partnerships must operate alongside sustained investment in public laboratories and specialist investigators, with clear standards, state accountability and measurable results,” says Du Preez.
Action Society calls on Treasury and the responsible departments to publish the funding periods and departmental breakdowns for the announced allocations, together with recruitment and deployment plans, forensic turnaround targets and deadlines for progressing stalled cases. Quarterly public reports must show expenditure against delivery.
“Women and children need permanent improvements that survive beyond a budget speech or a temporary deployment. Without a funded delivery plan and public accountability, these announcements remain promises. Government must show exactly how this money will make victims safer and justice more certain.”
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