6 000 DNA buccal swabs delivered following a shortage.
In a much-needed boost to forensic capabilities, 6,000 DNA buccal swab (DB) kits were delivered to the South African Police Service (SAPS) Epping Supplies Store earlier this week, the Cape Argus reported. This delivery arrives amidst a critical shortage impacting several police stations across the Western Cape. While this development has garnered some praise from gender-based violence (GBV) organisations, experts caution that it may not suffice to remedy the ongoing forensic crisis.
Recent investigations conducted by Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of Parliament Nicholas Gotsell highlighted alarming deficiencies in supplies, as he discovered during unannounced oversight visits to police stations in the region. Gotsell found that stations in places such as Khayelitsha, Maitland, Atlantis, Philippi East, and Somerset West were entirely out of DB kits, while Cape Town Central and Manenberg faced dwindling stock levels.
At Manenberg Police Station, Gotsell reported that officers had exhausted their supply of DB kits just a week prior. "These findings underscore a massive forensic emergency within SAPS,” he stated, expressing concerns that these shortages could severely compromise criminal investigations.
