A fully functioning forensic laboratory for the Eastern Cape with the capability for DNA analysis could be operational three months from now.
That's according to Police Minister, Bheki Cele.
Cele’s announcement comes after a debate of national importance on the ongoing DNA backlog in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
It was revealed in parliament that there are more than 200 000 outstanding DNA result backlogs in forensic science laboratory services.
According to Cele two of the country’s four forensic laboratories were fully functional meaning that DNA samples from the Eastern Cape had to be sent to either Cape Town or Pretoria.
Police Ministry spokesperson, Lizandzu Themba, told Algoa FM News that the current lab situated in Gqeberha only deals with evidence recovery and sample submission at the moment. Contractors are already on-site at the lab in Gqeberha where refurbishments have started, according to Minister Cele.
Meanwhile, Advocate Brenda Madumise, who is the Director for the advocacy group Wise 4 Afrika, told the SABC that the DNA backlog issue was nothing new as it was raised in Parliament as far back as 2019.
She added that the building of a DNA sampling lab in the Eastern Cape was part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s emergency response plan announced following Uyinene Mrwetyana’s brutal murder.
“For the police to process any DNA samples they have to drive to the Western Cape,” she said. “They had undertaken to build a lab by last year and everyone is blaming the Covid-19 pandemic which is not true."
The DA’s Andrew Whitfield, who raised the DNA issue for debate in parliament, said he would be keeping an eye on the renovation process.
"The DA is going to be conducting regular oversights to make sure that the contractors are on-site and the upgrades are happening. We cannot allow the backlog to continue to grow and this development in Nelson Mandela Bay will certainly assist the backlog of cases coming out of the Eastern Cape," he said.
