No to physical beatings

SUGGESTION: MINISTER TAKEN TO TASK OVER CORPORAL PUNISHMENT TALK

- Jarryd Westerdale

Police pallbearers carry the coffin of ANC stalwart Sunny Singh during a special provincial state funeral in Durban yesterday. Singh, who died last Thursday at the age of 86, was an MK operative and spent a decade imprisoned on Robben Island.

(Rajesh Jantilal)

South Africa’s history is too painful to consider physical punishment for criminals, parliamentarians say.

Members of the portfolio committee on correctional services yesterday took turns to challenge Minister Pieter Groenewald on his comments about corporal punishment made earlier this year. Groenewald had suggested the return of corporal punishment for inmates during his budget speech in July.

Groenewald suggested alternatives to dealing with petty criminals detained by correctional services.

“If you look at our criminal justice system, we must start a debate to say shouldn't we bring back corporal punishment?” Groenewald said in July.