This technology is helping the department save thousands of rands in transport costs. It links Magistrates' Courts to correctional detention centres via CCTV technology. Holomisa explains that the AVR broadcasting unit is primarily used for detainees still awaiting trial so that they don't have to be transported to appear in court, thus helping the department save on costs and risks associated with transporting detainees. While impressed by this, Holomisa said he hopes to see more of these broadcasting units at correctional centres across the country.

The system is similar to the technology that is used in court cases involving child victims, as they testify through a video link fed live to the courtroom, with the intention of protecting the victims from their attackers. The project started as a pilot project in 2005 at the Durban and Pinetown Magistrate’s Courts in KwaZulu-Natal, which are both linked to the Durban Westville Medium A Correctional facility. The project was then in 2011 officially launched and rolled out to 25 courts across six provinces, including Free State, North West, and Gauteng. Meanwhile, the department reports in its 2015/16 annual reports that 10 019 criminal cases were remanded that year using AVR systems in 47 Magistrates’ Courts and 21 correctional facilities.

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