Corporal punishment: Minister Groenewald suggests bringing back the rod. Education expert reacts

John Maytham is joined by Faranaaz Veriava, an Education Rights specialist with the Law Faculty at the University of Pretoria.

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Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald has proposed that South Africa reinstate corporal punishment.

He suggested in Parliament on Tuesday that it could be an option for those who couldn't afford to pay the minimum amount of bail and could help to alleviate overcrowding in prisons.

“We must start a debate to say: shouldn’t we bring back corporal punishment? he said.

Veriava says corporal punishment is not and never has been the answer:

"I thought it was a discussion that died in 1996...where juvenile whipping was outlawed by the Constitutional Court."

Faranaaz Veriava, Education Rights specialist with the Law Faculty - University of Pretoria

"It's interesting that Minister Groenewald is the person advocating for this...because one of the things [the court] said was that whipping and corporal punishment was part of our authoritarian past."

Faranaaz Veriava, Education Rights specialist with the Law Faculty - University of Pretoria

Speaking to Mandy Wiener on the Midday Report on Wednesday, Groenewald said the corporal punishment used would be lashes with a heavy or light cane - depending on the crime.

“The court must decide how many lashes, and with what type of cane.” he said.

Veriava says there's no evidence to suggest this as an effective mode of punishment or rehabilitation.

"There's a whole body of research that shows that corporal punishment does not serve a deterrent function."

Faranaaz Veriava, Education Rights specialist with the Law Faculty - University of Pretoria

"All it does is create a lot of psychological damage and a whole lot of other behavioural issues."

Faranaaz Veriava, Education Rights specialist with the Law Faculty - University of Pretoria

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