Gillion Bosman, MPP and DA Western Cape Spokesperson for Social Development reports the at the DA has written to the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) to intervene on the issue of unused DNA machines at the SAPS Forensic Sciences Laboratory. This follows an oversight visit to the labs in which it was found that the robotics machines used to process DNA for gender-based violence cases were not serviced, and thus not used, since 2019. This all stems from a simple operational flaw at SAPS which has delayed procurement for the machines’ servicing.
Section 11 of the Commission on Gender Equality Act stipulates that the CGE “shall investigate any gender-related issues of its own accord or on receipt of a complaint.” The Commission also has the power to coordinate such complaints with the Human Rights Commission, the Public Protector, or any other relevant authority. Given the CGE’s role as a key institution in the advancement for the rights of women, it is a prime establishment to investigate the severity that the non-servicing of DNA machines has on our ability to combat the GBV crisis. This is critically important in the Western Cape, which has 8 of the country’s GBV hotspots.
The robotics machines were used to process DNA faster than manual processing and were mainly utilised in cases related to gender-based violence (GBV). Unfortunately, the inability for these machines to be serviced since 2019 has contributed to the 100,000+ DNA backlog in the province.
MPP Gillion Bosman says: “It is unacceptable that national structures have concealed the fact that these robotics machines have been out of order since 2019, yet at the same time claims to be doing its best to fight and prevent GBV issues. This is all the while victims of GBV continue to suffer as alleged perpetrators freely roam the streets. Rape and sexual assault cases are historically under-reported and the lack of urgency by the criminal justice system to process DNA, which is vital component for successful investigations of these monstrous crimes, is discouraging and appalling. Justice delayed, is justice denied.
Not only is the delay in servicing these machines a direct result of national government’s incompetence when it comes to running policing structures, it is also tantamount to the infringement on the rights of GBV victims. These victims are yet to receive justice due to the backlog in DNA processing and have justice denied due to devastating administrative flaws at a national level. A Gender Links Study in 2014 found that in the Western Cape, thirty-nine percent of women experienced some form of GBV in their lifetime. If we are to arrest this disturbing level of violence, there must be consequences for the perpetrators.
We trust that the Commission for Gender Equality will aid us in getting national government to fast-track the servicing of these robotics machines so that DNA specimens can be processed with urgency.”
