New SA prisons boss Groenewald acknowledges Constitution prohibits capital punishment

CAPE TOWN - The country's new prisons boss, Pieter Groenewald, may have called for the death penalty, but he does acknowledge that the Constitution prohibits capital punishment.

However, Groenewald is adamant that criminals must still account for their crimes, as he takes up his post in Cyril Ramaphosa's Cabinet.

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The Freedom Front (FF) Plus leader was responding to questions about his calls to bring back the death penalty that's he made over the years.

Groenewald, who was sworn in as the new correctional services minister on Wednesday, said he would also visit the Mangaung correctional facility, where Thabo Bester escaped as his first order of business.

He said his calls for the death penalty were through frustration at how criminals in the country were roaming the streets with impunity.

While Groenewald may have advocated for capital punishment, the country can only do what's permitted by the Constitution.

“I said many times the problem with crime in South Africa and the fact that its impunity people get away with crime. Therefore, if we look at capital punishment, the Constitution prohibits it, so we will have to find other ways to ensure there is accountability.”

Groenewald said he also wants a briefing on private prisons and will be paying a visit to one of the more controversial ones.

“I said the first person, first facility I want to visit is [the] Thabo Bester facility, and I want to meet with the CEO of the private company as well.”
  
Groenewald said he will also be working closely with trade unions as he tries to find ways to save the taxpayer money.