Klerksdorp Rekord, Klerksdorp –The DA put pressure in Parliament on the Minister of Correctional Services, Pieter Groenewald, to reveal the scale of contraband in South African prisons, demonstrating that this scourge has reached crisis levels. Groenewald shocked with stats saying “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”.
Kabelo Kgobisa-Ngcaba MP, DA Deputy Spokesperson on Correctional Services, said this new information demonstrates the absolute porousness of the 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,” he said.
Kgobisa-Ngcaba added that he wrote to the Minister, urging immediate action to secure the prisons from the distribution of contraband, including violent weapons.
According to him he has to date, received no response to this communication. “It is unclear, then, whether any action is underway to address this crisis. Given the scale, 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.”
