Thousands of Kilograms of Drugs, 41 000 Cell Phones in SA Prisons

Dear Editor

A Parliamentary question to Minister of Correctional Services, Pieter Groenewald, has revealed the scale of contraband in South African prisons, demonstrating that this scourge has reached crisis levels. Given the extent of the problem, Minister Groenewald must escalate the issue to Cabinet for intervention as a matter of urgency.

In the past twelve months alone, nearly a thousand kilograms of drugs have been confiscated in South African Correctional Centres. This is in addition to more than 41 000 cellular devices; 11 000 weapons; more than 250 litres of alcohol and R200 000 in cash. These quantities of contraband found and could be just the tip of a much larger problem.

Shockingly, official uniforms were also confiscated from inmates, raising the question of what prisoners were doing with these items.

This new information demonstrates the absolute porousness of our correctional facilities, which are meant to be secure for inmates and the public. As things stand, our prisons are a hub for illegal activity as opposed to rehabilitation. We have already seen shocking reports of violent crimes being orchestrated from correctional facilities, notably the horrific shooting in Lusikisiki, and now we can see how it happens.

The Department is failing to contain the situation and to implement effective consequence management. In the 2023/24 financial year only 267 criminal charges were brought against officials and inmates for contraband. The quantity of contraband confiscated in the correctional centres suggests that far more officials are involved.

In addition to the failure of consequence management, the Department has also failed to address the most basic element of a secure facility that would dramatically reduce the influx of contraband: proper perimeter fencing. Without it, no effort to create contraband-free facilities will succeed.

Last month, I wrote to the Minister of Correctional Services, Pieter Groenewald, urging immediate action to secure our prisons from the distribution of contraband, including violent weapons. To date, I have received no response to this communication. It is unclear, then, whether any action is underway to address this crisis in our correctional system.

Given the scale of the problem before the Department, Minister Groenewald must bring this matter to Cabinet and solicit assistance in addressing both the dangerous volumes of contraband in our prisons, and the need to stem criminal activity in and emanating from prisons. It is clear that the Department of Correctional Services cannot do it alone.

Regards

Kabelo Kgobisa-Ngcaba MP
DA Deputy Spokesperson on Correctional Services