Parolees are still being watched

ALLEGATIONS that parolees are able to roam around without any monitoring, following the suspension of electronic tags by the Department of Correctional Services, are untrue, according to the department.

President Jacob Zuma authorised the Special Investigating Unit to investigate allegations into the tender issuing process of electronic monitoring systems and payments made, as they were reportedly not fair, equitable, transparent, and were contrary to applicable legislation.

Engineered Systems Solutions (ESS) was the company responsible for issuing the electronic monitoring devices.

Departmental spokesperson Logan Maistry said that following the findings, the contract with ESS was terminated in March and the department took a decision to terminate it within three months, allowing the company until the end of last month to participate in the handover process.

“ESS has since refused to co-operate as it disputed the matter pertaining to the right of termination of DCS. “Nonetheless, the three-month notice period for cancellation has since lapsed and the contract is therefore deemed to be cancelled by the department,” Maistry said .

He added that the reason for the payment disputes and termination are before an Arbitration Tribunal and ESS has also taken the department to court to set aside its notice of termination.

Maistry said the electronic monitoring was introduced as a pilot project in 2011 with 150 tags and extended to 1 000 tags in 2014.

“Parolees will not be free to roam around without any monitoring, and will not go missing.

“They are still being monitored in the prescribed manner, as the majority of parolees were always monitored through normal physical monitoring.The Electronic Monitoring Programme is now temporarily suspended until further notice.”

He added that each person placed on parole must appear every six months before the Supervision Committee for assessment of compliance to the stipulated parole conditions.