A backlog of nearly 300,000 DNA exhibits is hindering justice for victims of violent crimes in South Africa.
South Africa’s forensic DNA system is facing a capacity crisis that is undermining the criminal justice process, leaving victims of violent crimes waiting years for critical forensic results. Parliamentary replies have exposed a bottleneck, with nearly 300,000 exhibit entries currently on hand—many of which have significantly exceeded prescribed processing timelines.
This was revealed in a parliamentary exchange between DA MP Baxolile Nodada and Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia, in which Nodada sought information on the current status of the SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). He requested information on the provincial backlog of untested DNA samples and exhibits, with a particular focus on the total number of samples related to rape, murder, and sexual offences against children. He also inquired about the duration for which samples had been held for testing, the submission date of the oldest untested sample, and the number of exhibits received by the FSL that had not yet been registered in its system.
In his response, Cachalia said the FSL manages DNA analysis through a nationally integrated system.
