No rape, DNA test kit shortage
Police and the MEC dismiss allegations of no kits, claiming that service delivery will not be impacted
Eastern Cape authorities have dismissed reports that they have no rape and DNA test kits in the province.
Confusion around the kits emerged when safety and liaison MEC Weziwe Tikana, in a written response to DA MEC Bobby Stevenson, stated there was no stock “on hand” for this financial year.
Police have dismissed allegations of no stock, stating that they were looking into how the incorrect information was provided.
The news comes only days after the police crime statistics were released.
The latest crime statistics show that on average 1,049 rapes were reported in the Bay alone between April 2017 and March 2018.
During the same period 6,821 rapes were reported across the province, equating to 131 rapes a week in the province and 20 a week in the Bay.
The DNA kits are used to collect samples from an individual who is suspected of committing a crime. The DNA will be compared to that found at a crime scene, potentially linking the suspect to more crimes.
Rape kits are used to gather evidence from rape victims.
In her response, Tikana said 41,545 rape kits were used over the last financial year and 44,600 DNA kits – despite only 6,821 rapes and 805 sexual assaults being reported in the Eastern Cape.
Tikana said there were no rape or DNA kits “on hand” for the current finical year.
She added that rape test kits shortages was a national issue. “Shortage is a national challenge and not isolated to the Eastern Cape,” she said.
DNA kits, according to Tikana, was a provincial shortage.
The figures were verified by the Provincial head of finance and administration, Brigadier T Mjali.
Asked why initially it was said there were no kits, Tikana’s spokesman Unathi Binqose said that they were looking into it.
“The MEC will, working with management at police, take a closer look as to how this happened. A full account of this unfortunate incident will be delivered in due time,” he said. “What is comforting to us is that the kits are available and cases have not been and will not be compromised as a result. We are now looking at how the wrong info was given.”
Stevenson called the shortage a “crisis” that could see rape victims denied justice. “The police should have access to the necessary equipment to do their work so that perpetrators can be nailed and jailed. Rape victims already have so many hurdles to overcome just to come forward and report the crime.”
Provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Liziwe Ntshinga slammed the allegations of a crisis, calling it exaggerated and an “extremely sensitive”.
Ntshinga assured residents that they would not be denied justice.
“Whilst the South African Police Service may from time to time experience shortages of the apparatus, the victims of crime have never gone without the necessary care and use of these kits,” she said. “Therefore, any suggestion that people of the Eastern Cape are being betrayed is an exaggerated version of events.
“There is absolutely no crisis of huge proportions and the SAPS is not under resourced as alleged.”
Ntshinga said an internal investigation was underway to establish how the incorrect details were given out.
“My office would like to reassure the people of the Eastern Cape that while the process of procurement is pursued, service delivery will not be compromised and therefore the situation is under control,” she said.
The kits are largely used by the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offence (FCS) units, which specialise in sexual abuse and rape investigations.
Thuthuzela Care Centre head advocate Linda le Roux, who works closely with FCS detectives, said that they had no shortage of rape test kits.
Deputy director of Public Prosecution advocate Selvan Gounden, who is based in Grahamstown, said prosecutors had not encountered a problem.
“We deal with hundreds of rape cases across the province a day and have not yet encountered the problem of a shortage. In any event, there are alternative ways and kits that can be used to take samples,” he said.
Criminologist and former detective Professor Rudolph Zinn agreed that there were other ways to gather evidence besides using the kits.
“All it would mean is that detectives would have more paperwork as they need to take statements to prove the chain of evidence is not broken. With the kits, it is just an easier way to collect evidence as they have bar codes and it done digitally, like the scanning of the barcodes,” he said.
The tender for the supply and delivery of collection kits for a two-year period was cancelled by police in June due to supplier issues.
“Two of the suppliers that took part in the bid process were disqualified because they could not meet the specifications as outlined by the department. During this process, the SAPS however discovered that the third supplier that did meet the required specifications is currently under criminal investigation. Therefore, the SAPS could not continue with the awarding of the tender,” said national police spokesman Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo in May.
“In the meantime, to avoid a total lack of these resources, SAPS has embarked on a procurement process through a quotation basis. In the process, we have identified some companies and we are currently assessing their suitability to provide the required evidence collection kit.”
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