News for NPA stafKfK, friends and stakehholders aasshhoo June 2007 JUNE 16: The East London Regional office hosted a soccer tournament in Mdantsane to celebrate National Youth Day. Local soccer teams competed for the “Fairplay” trophy which carries the message of: “Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you”. Full story on page 8 Highgate massacre revisited Mthatha in focus Farewell from the CEO The 1993 Highgate Massacre, in which This month, Khasho looks at how the A personal note to all staff from outgoing five people died and seven others were Mthatha DPP is overcoming its challenges. CEO of the NPA and the DSO Marion seriously injured has again come under It boasts of having no backlog in appeals. Sparg. the spotlight. Page 5 Pages 6 & 7 Page 11 2 Letter from the National Director Let’s choose the values we need to adopt he process of developing the core val - ues for our organisation is moving full “we are going to have to speed ahead. change a lot including our own TWe are now moving into the exciting stage behaviour and adopt those val - where we are going to ask you to participate in the process and use your vote to express your - ues that ensure we give the self on what are the values that should guide people of South Africa the best us as we carry out our work. service.” Remember that this MyNPA My Values initiative forms part of our 2020 vision to agement I’ll be visiting our regional offices transform this organisation into one that doing roadshows, so that we are in constant ensures people of this country live in freedom contact with you and hear what your needs and security. are . In order for us to achieve this we are going One of the things that concern me is that to have to change a lot including our own among employees of the NPA there are still behaviour and adopt those values that ensure many people who do not have a full under - we give the people of South Africa the best standing of what we are all about and there is service with high levels of professionalism no sufficient understanding of many of the ini - and our integrity is beyond reproach . tiatives were are undertaking. It is very important to me that as the lead - We are going to be improving our Internal ership of this organisation, we are listening to Communication Education systems so that we you and are visible so that we can converse educate and inform each other about every - with you and exchange ideas about how best thing that is going on in the organisation. we serve our country. The goal is to create an NPA ambassador We are aware that it is very crucial for us of very employee so that we have within us to take care of you and your needs so that you people who can speak passionately to the are satisfied and therefore better serve the broader South African society passionately broader public. And so in the near future, and carry our message about what our man - together with some members of senior man - date is and explain our vision . National Director of Public Prosecutions Adv Vusi Pikoli Contents 3 NPA wants Child Justice Bill fast-tracked 8 Partnering with the youth to fight crime 8 Second phase of recruitment drive nearly complete 4 A quicker solution to staff queries 9 4 NPA in the news ‘ I am a prosecutor and will always be one’ 10 5 Highgate massacre Getting awaiting-trial prisoners out of jail revisited 10 Time frames for disciplinary enquiries 11 Farewell from the CEO 12 6 & 7 NPA News & Events Mtatha DPP boasts of no appeals backlog Court action reduces illegal holiday homes NPA News 3 Frustration over Child Justice Bill The NPA is at the fore - front of the campaign to have the Child Justice Bill promulgated. Once passed, the bill will, among others, protect the rights of children and promote ubuntu in the CHILD JUSTICE: Little Treehouse Pre-schoolers learn about their rights. child justice system. prosecuted, but on acknowledging responsibility is passed, it will improve on the efficient and for the crimes, they should be referred by courts effective management of children in conflict with he NPA has urged Parliament to fast to diversion programmes that rehabilitate and the law in the criminal justice system. track the Child Justice Bill which has reintegrate them into their families and The NPA and other relevant departments, been lying dormant since 2004. communities. through the Intersectoral Child Justice TIn the absence of comprehensive legislation One of the main features of the Child Committee chaired by the Department of Justice dealing with young offenders, the NPA and Justice Bill is diversion. “At present the and Constitutional Development, are submitting other relevant departments have developed an diversion is conducted by contributions to the Bill’s interim National Protocol on the Management the NPA based on its development committee to of Children Awaiting Trial. The Child Justice national policy guidelines. update its costs and Bill was tabled in 2004. As from April 2006 until implementation plans. “We are frustrated that the Bill is taking too March 2007, the NPA has The aims of the Child long. It sets out to promote the best interest of conducted 43 944 Justice Bill are to: the child as entrenched in the Constitution and diversions. (a) Protect the rights of in the United Nations Convention on the Rights Though not all children children as contemplated in of the Child,” says Advocate Maggie Tserere, are afforded the opportunity section 28 (1) (g) and (h) of head of Child Justice at Sexual Offences and of diversion, a large the Constitution Community Affairs Unit. number are reliant on the (b) Promote ubuntu in the Tserere indicated that she was looking system for rehabilitation. It child justice system through forward to the new legislation which would deal is the responsibility of the – (i) fostering children’s Second phase of recruitment drive nearly complete with children in conflict with the law in a Department of Social sense of dignity and worth holistic manner from arrest until sentencing. Development to ensure the (ii) reinforcing children’s NPA head Adv Vusi Pikoli said in availability of diversion respect for human rights parliament that the Bill would deal with the programmes in the country. and fundamental freedoms high level of case backlogs. Some of these programmes of others by holding “It would alleviate some of the problems are rendered by non- Adv Maggie Tserere children accountable for that we are experiencing, especially when it governmental organisations and their actions and safeguarding comes to children.” Pikoli said that prison was community based organisations,” says Adv the interests of victims and the community not a place for children. “Children have to be Tserere. Together with the Department of Social (iii) supporting reconciliation by means of a treated in a special way without necessarily Development, the NPA (SOCA Unit) has restorative justice response and undermining some of the serious offences they developed minimum standards on diversion for (iv) involving parents, families, victims and commit,” he added. children in conflict with the law, based on the communities in child justice processes in order According to Adv Tserere, the delay was provisions of the Bill. “This is to address the to encourage reintegration of children impacting on the quality of services rendered unequal access to diversion services for children (c) Promote co-operation between all to children in conflict with the law. in rural and urban areas due to inadequate government departments and other organisations According to the NPA, children who have diversion programmes, adds Tserere.” and agencies involved in implementing an committed petty offences should not be The NPA is expecting that as soon as the Bill effective child justice system. 4 NPA News A quicker solution to staff queries ix years and still going strong. The NPA call centre continues to strive for excel - lence in its service delivery. SHeaded by Thami Nkonyane, the eight head strong call centre team has a record of resolving 80% of queries received. “We try our best to offer the best service we can, and the 20% that we can’t solve, we escalate to the relevant department,” Nkonyane says. According to Nkonyane, the call centre has undergone a lot of changes over the years, as she and her team are always looking at bet - ONE STOP SHOP: Call Centre Manager Thami Nkonyane says the centre’s mis - ter and faster ways of service delivery to staff. “We are constantly looking at ways of fast sion is to always satisfy clients. tracking queries which are escalated,” she queries are not resolved immediately, clients of the cases needing to be escalated to other says. Often, feedback on escalated queries are given reference numbers. Nkonyane departments. “We try and solve all the prob - takes a while due to the volume of work. They admits they haven’t entirely managed to lems we can ourselves, but we have to escalate introduced a new computerised system so that become a one stop service centre due to some those that need implementing, correcting or all queries are channeled to the relevant auditing. There are plans at hand to improve departments electronically, therefore saving Corporate Service’s turnaround times. This time and allowing for better query manage - will enable the call centre to give feedback to ment. clients faster than at present. The call centre operates within NPA work - “I would like to encourage everyone to ing hours.