Backlog with DNA tests: South Africa’s women and children are being let down 

24 August 2021

It was revealed today in the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Police that the backlog with the testing of DNA samples and other material related to gender-based violence cases currently stands at 90 201.

That is a sharp increase since 15 May this year when the Committee paid an oversight visit to the police's forensic laboratory in Pretoria as at that time, the backlog with the testing of samples relating to such crimes was 68 235. So, in just more than three months, the backlog increased with 21 266.

This ensued after the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, admitted in March this year that at that stage there were no chemicals, used to test DNA samples, available in any of the police laboratories across the country.

If these forensic samples are not available to be used in court cases, it means that criminals, like rapists, cannot be charged and arrested or may even be acquitted for the simple reason that the evidence needed for a conviction in these types of cases is just not available.

Ultimately, it means that the women and children who are victims of rape are at the mercy of criminals as the criminal justice system has let them down.

President Cyril Ramaphosa's empty promises in Parliament – to intensify the fight against gender-based violence and that women and children will be protected – mean nothing while the backlog at the police force's forensic division keeps growing.

The President will have to take decisive action to ensure that the backlog is eradicated to prove that he is not merely paying the women and children of South Africa lip service.

Government has been aware of the problems experienced by the police's forensic laboratories and these problems have even been under discussion for quite some time now. And yet it seems that nothing is being done to address them while the situation is going from bad to worse.

With the Portfolio Committee's visit on the 15th of May, members of the Committee were informed that even if all the laboratories were functional and operating at full capacity by the beginning of July this year, it would still take up to 18 months to process the backlog.

But now these laboratories are still not fully functional and the backlog is much greater than on the 15th of May, and it is still increasing by the day. If the recent increase is taken into account, it could take two to three years to catch up on the current backlog.

Thus, rape victims will be forced to wait for years before they have the crucial evidence needed to proceed with their court cases. It is unacceptable for the President to pay lip service while the situation is deteriorating at such an alarming pace. He must step in and remedy the situation.

Issued by Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus leader, 24 August 2021