The Presidency of South Africa
President Cyril Ramaphosa hailed the expansion of the police forensic science laboratory in Gqeberba, which was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.
He said the laboratory is expected to speed up the clearing of the backlog in DNA analysis.
According to the South African Police Services (SAPS), the lab will improve the turnaround time in DNA analysis, which in turn strengthens the fight against Gender-Based violence and femicide in the country.
Ramaphosa said the improved forensic capabilities will assist police to build stronger cases with solid evidence to ensure the successful conviction of perpetrators.
"These are cases that were previously outsourced to other laboratories.
"This strategic move not only enhances the laboratory's capacity but also alleviates the workload of other service points.
"It is impressive that the construction and the upgrade of the facility was completed six months ahead of schedule and under budget," he added.
Meanwhile, SAPS says the expansion of the DNA Lab is set to bolster efforts in DNA analyses in the best interest of victims of crime, particularly Gender-Based Violence and Femicide related crimes.
National spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, said e
Ever since the upgraded facility became functional in February this year, over 6 000 DNA samples have been processed.
"Based on the volumes of crime that require DNA investigation, the Biology section had to expand its scientific scope by including DNA analysis which will enable the organisation to address an average case volume of 800 cases per month," she said.
"These are cases which used to be processed in other laboratories. This simply means this lab will ease the burden of other service points."
Following the unveiling of the laboratory, Ramaphosa addressed the omen in law enforcement parade at the Wolfson Stadium.
The parade encompasses women in the Justice, Crime Prevention, and Security Cluster.
