ARE WE TAKING PHYSICAL EVIDENCE SERIOUSLY?

The SAPS Criminal Record and Forensic Science Service (CRFSS) faces significant operational hurdles despite improvements in DNA backlogs between 2004 and 2006. Key challenges include high staff turnover due to low salaries, insufficient training for forensic field workers leading to poor quality evidence, and delays caused by a lack of prosecutor requests for DNA analysis. To address these, the SAPS implemented the Genetic Sample Processing System (GSPS) in 2007, a large-scale robotics system designed to eliminate human error and increase processing volume. The author recommends market-related salaries, contractual training bonds, and the establishment of an offender DNA database to improve the efficiency of the criminal justice process.

• The Criminal Record and Forensic Science Service (CRFSS) is structured into three main components: the Criminal Record Centre (CRC), Technology and Technical Management (TTM), and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). The FSL's biology and ballistics units are the most frequently used, with sexual assault cases comprising 70% of the biology unit's workload.
• DNA processing turnaround times at the FSL average approximately 120 days from receipt of a case to the submission of a report to court. This includes 30 days for case activation and 90 days from activation to report forwarding. This timeframe is compared as being reasonable relative to Canada (114 days) and the FBI (approximately one year).
• A significant portion of DNA cases are not successfully analysed due to poor evidence collection. Out of an estimated 42,000 annual cases, only about 10% (approximately 4,032 cases) are potentially analysed because 60% are negative for body fluids and only 24% of the remaining positive samples have sufficient quality DNA.
• The CRFSS suffers from high staff turnover and a 'brain drain' to foreign countries and other domestic agencies like the Department of Health, driven by low salaries and poor promotion policies. Training costs are high, ranging from R330,000 for chemistry to R500,000 for ballistics per trainee.
• The Genetic Sample Processing System (GSPS), operational since March 2007, is a robotics-based DNA analysis system costing R80m. It is designed to eliminate human error and cross-contamination, with an anticipated capacity to generate approximately 4,000 samples per week.
• The author recommends several reforms to improve the system, including the creation of an offender DNA database (requiring a re-examination of Article 37 of the Criminal Procedure Act), implementing five-year training contracts for staff, and conducting audits of the 92 local criminal record centres to address poor evidence collection.

APA

Omar, B. (2008). ARE WE TAKING PHYSICAL EVIDENCE SERIOUSLY? Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/01-mar-2008-sacq-23/01-mar-2008-are-we-taking-physical-evidence-seriously-the-saps-criminal-record-and-forensic-science-service-bilkis-omar

Chicago

Omar, Bilkis. ARE WE TAKING PHYSICAL EVIDENCE SERIOUSLY? Institute for Security Studies, 2008. https://issafrica.org/01-mar-2008-sacq-23/01-mar-2008-are-we-taking-physical-evidence-seriously-the-saps-criminal-record-and-forensic-science-service-bilkis-omar.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Omar |first1=Bilkis |title=ARE WE TAKING PHYSICAL EVIDENCE SERIOUSLY? |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=March 2008 |url=https://issafrica.org/01-mar-2008-sacq-23/01-mar-2008-are-we-taking-physical-evidence-seriously-the-saps-criminal-record-and-forensic-science-service-bilkis-omar |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{omar2008are, author = {Omar, Bilkis}, title = {{ARE WE TAKING PHYSICAL EVIDENCE SERIOUSLY?}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2008}, month = mar, url = {https://issafrica.org/01-mar-2008-sacq-23/01-mar-2008-are-we-taking-physical-evidence-seriously-the-saps-criminal-record-and-forensic-science-service-bilkis-omar}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }