A brand new forensic laboratory that was officially opened in KwaZulu-Natal last week will end the province’s reliance on facilities in other regions to process its DNA evidence, and help make a dent in the more than 13 000 unresolved cases on the backlog list, reports the Independent on Saturday.
Until now, KZN has depended on labs in Pretoria and the Western Cape for DNA processing, but the new Mayville Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) is expected to become a “turnkey solution” for the province’s justice system.
Officially handed over by Public Works & Infrastructure Minister Dean MacPherson on Friday, the facility will finally bring biology, chemistry, and questioned document units under one roof, alongside specialised quality management staff.
For years, KZN has functioned primarily as a site for “evidence recovery”, with actual DNA analysis having been outsourced to labs thousands of kilometres away. This logistical hurdle is about to end.
However, the scale of the challenge facing the new facility was laid bare with the release of the latest forensic data. As of last week, the province has 24 442 cases on hand. Of those, 13 861 are officially classified as backlogs, having remained unresolved for more than 90 days.
A breakdown of the list reveals the pressure points in the KZN justice chain: chemistry –7 993 cases; ballistics – 3 742 cases; biology – 1 963 cases.
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