The Wits Justice Project’s conference Remand Detention: Challenges and Solutions took place at the Professional Development Hub on Wednesday 10^th August. The conference was attended by DCS officials, Legal Aid, SAPS, the department of Correctional Services, the department of Justice, independent prison visitors, members of civil society, CALS, various media outlets, Wits academics and individuals concerned with the plight of remand detainees in South Africa.

Minister of Correctional Services Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula

In Gauteng alone, more than 1000 remand detainees have been held in prison for more than two years, sometimes in conditions described by the Inspecting Judge Deon van Zyl as “shockingly inhumane”.

The conference promoted debate between government, prison officials and other entities. Bail, conditions in prison, length of cases, the length of time spent in prison by remand detainees and the proposed White Paper on remand were all vigorously discussed.

Jeremy Gordin, Andries Nel, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Deon van Zyl, Anton Harber

The conference was addressed by key players in remand detention, including:

• · Jeremy Gordin, Director of the Wits Justice Project
• · Fusi Mofokeng, former prisoner
• · Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Minister of Correctional Services
• · Clare Ballard, Researcher at the Civil Society Prison Reform Initiative
• · Wilna Lambley, Gauteng Regional Head of Legal Aid SA
• · Patrick Hundermark, Legal Development Executive at Legal Aid SA
• · Andries Nel, Deputy Minister of Justice
• · Deon van Zyl, Inspecting Judge of Correctional Services
• · Vincent Smith, Chair of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services

Jeremy Gordin, Jomo Nyambi, Fusi Mofokeng

 The conference helped identify systemic malfunctions in the criminal justice system that lead to delays, and highlighted potential solutions, while creating public awareness of the situation of remand detainees.

Patrick Hundermark

Vincent Smith, Fusi Mofokeng, Jeremy Gordin, Deon van Zyl

Andries Nel, Wilna Lambley, Patrick Hundermark, Clare Ballard, Anton Harber

Anton Harber

Photos by TJ Lemon

About the Wits Justice Project

The Wits Justice Project investigates the plight of those locked up in South Africa’s prisons.

High crime levels means the fate of prisoners does not feature on the public agenda. While the presumption of innocence is one of the fundamental principles of justice in a democratic society, it is widely assumed that prisoners, whether sentenced or not, are behind bars for a reason. For many, however, this is not the case.

A third of the South African prison population is locked up awaiting trial, many for years. Yet approximately 2 in 5 of these people will eventually be acquitted. This means that a staggering number of innocent people are being deprived of their freedom.

At the same time there are other prisoners, convicted by the courts, who continue to protest their innocence. Many of these are also innocent. For these people too, the denial of justice is the denial of their basic human rights.

The Wits Justice Project will investigate the individual cases of wrongly convicted and awaiting trial prisoners.

The Justice Project aims to:
• understand the reasons why justice is frequently delayed or denied
• provide proof that in many cases this is the consequence of system defects
• raise public awareness of justice denied
• produce compelling evidence for the need for reform.

Jeremy Gordin has been the director of the Wits Justice Project since August 2009 when he took over from investigative journalist Jacques Pauw. Born in Pretoria in 1952, he has an honours degree in ancient languages and culture and is trying, not very successfully, to complete a MA on Aristotle and Maimonides. Gordin has been a journalist since 1976 including business editor of the Financial Mail, editor of Playboy (SA); founding project manager/managing editor of the Independent Group’s Business Report; and news editor, managing editor, and associate editor of The Sunday Independent. He still writes a weekly column on Moneyweb and Politicsweb in which he tries to annoy as many people as possible. He was written or co-written six books, one of them the best-selling biography of a politician called Jacob Zuma. He is married to Deborah Blake, a journalist; they have produced two children, Jake, 16, and Nina, 12. He thinks that some of the finest people he has ever met are to be found in Medium B at Johannesburg Prison.
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Carolyn Raphaely’s professional career and personal interests have always been informed by an insatiable curiosity and a desire to improve the way we live. With a psychology and drama degree, a Masters in City and Regional Planning, stints as associate editor of the Financial Mail, features editor of Finance Week, Johannesburg bureau chief of Cosmopolitan magazine and communications manager of Conservation Corporation Africa under her belt, she brings a maverick approach to the WJP.  Raphaely cut her journalistic teeth exposing the pitiful conditions experienced by migrant workers living in employer-provided housing in the Western Cape.  Subsequently, she’s written extensively about socio-political, human rights and lifestyle issues, housing, business and the environment. She’s also written about travel, décor, design and architecture as a freelancer and spent lengthy periods in some of Africa’s most wild and wonderful places. Right now, she’s obsessed with righting wrongs in SA’s justice system by drawing attention to the mostly ignored plight of people behind bars. 
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Ananias Ndlovu has more than ten years experience in streetwise journalism. Ndlovu has worked for both electronic and print media: locally, regionally and nationally. He has worked for The Star, Daily Sun, and for a variety of community media including Leseding News, Naledi, and Radio Mafisa Letlhabile Community Radio. After years of working with different communities, Ndlovu feels that it is now time to take things to another level: human rights Journalism. Ndlovu completed a National Higher Diploma in Journalism at the Tshwane University of Technology in 2000 and has also obtained a Certificate of Investigative Journalism at the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism.
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Ingrid Cloete, senior intern at the Wits Justice Project and a law graduate from Rhodes, has a particular zeal for justice. Cloete has a flare for the fine print, and obviously, the law in general. She joined the WJP in January 2011 and has already wowed her colleagues with her legal prowess – all of which she carries out while still learning to negotiate the streets of Braamfontein as 5fm plays bad music. She has a memory as fine as single malt – and if you’re a hot-aired, defensive official, you had best watch your step around her.
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Miriam Mokoena completed her honours in Journalism and media studies at the University of the Witwatersrand. She specialised in radio journalism. Mokoena has taken a shine to investigative journalism, because “it digs deeper into issues”. She joined the Justice Project in the hopes of using her experience to inform the public of the plight of the downtrodden stuck in the judicial system.  She has a particular flare for getting her feet dirty while demanding truth in the deepest and darkest places, and she fears no-one.
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Taryn Arnott grew up in Welkom, a quiet town in South Africa's northern Free State. She graduated BMus cum laude in 2010 at the University of Pretoria, receiving Academic Honorary Colours. During her time as a musician, Arnott realized her passion for writing about music and its socio-cultural implications and chose to pursue a career in music journalism. While completing a Honours degree in Journalism at the University of the Witwatersrand, she began reporting on the underground music and arts culture and soon became a regular reporter and photographer for the popular website dontparty.co.za. Within a few months, the site was voted best music blog in South Africa. But Arnott also felt the need to serve the people at grassroots, and, through the WJP, became aware of the plight of awaiting trial detainees and victims of miscarriages of justice.  After completing her Honours degree, she joined the WJP as an intern, where she keeps her colleagues on their toes through her various administrative demands and militaristic implementation of a new filing system.
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Interns
The Justice Project will bring together journalism and law students, to work on individual cases. Students will get real experience in investigating an area of injustice and malpractice, while prisoners will get direct representation or at least some critical assistance and increased public awareness about their plight.

To apply for an internship:
Internships are available for 3 to 6 months, working on the Wits Justice Project. An interest in the criminal justice system is essential, as is a journalism qualification (Honours or similar). Write explaining why you want to apply for an internship, enclosing your CV, and send them to Jeremy Gordin at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Contact
You can contact the Justice Project on 011 717 4087
Or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Justice Project is located in the Journalism department, University of the Witwatersrand. It is funded by the Valley Trust and the Ford Foundation.