This after security breaches at the facility revealed weaknesses in core operational procedures – compelling the National Commissioner to intervene.

“In recent months, Pollsmoor has experienced a series of serious security breaches that exposed weaknesses in the management of warrants, court appearances, and inmate identification processes.

“These incidents cannot be taken lightly, as they have the potential to undermine public confidence in the correctional system and compromise the broader criminal justice value chain,” Thobakgale noted.

The incidents include cases of mistaken release and an inmate assuming the identity of another.

Furthermore, in July, a raid at the facility led by the National Commissioner uncovered more than 110 cell phones, sim cards, sharp objects, drug paraphernalia, drugs and cash.

“[The] erroneous release of remand detainee John Henry Mpelo due to failures in verifying warrants, the mistaken release of Inganathi ‘Thembalethu’ Daba under another detainee’s identity, and the case of Jordan Adams, who exploited weaknesses in record management to assume a false identity.

“While all three offenders were subsequently re-arrested, these breaches point to deep systemic vulnerabilities in fingerprint verification, record reconciliation, and overall operational discipline. Investigations are underway, and there will be accountability and consequences for those found to have neglected their duties,” he said.

The management intervention is aimed at instituting “corrective measures, restore stability, and strengthen management practices at the facility”.

The intervention will be led by highly experienced department officials, Abel Mashaba and Michael Mafukata who will be deployed to Pollsmoor until the facility regains its footing.

“Pollsmoor is one of South Africa’s big five correctional facilities, strategically located to service numerous courts in the Cape Town metropole and surrounding districts. Its role in the criminal justice system is pivotal.

“Any instability here has a ripple effect across law enforcement, the judiciary, and community safety. We cannot afford to allow breaches of this magnitude to continue unchecked. This intervention is therefore not only necessary, but non-negotiable,” Thobakgale explained.

He added that the intervention is part of a broader plan to strengthen capacity and management at facilities across the country.

“The department has been making targeted appointments to stabilise facilities and strengthen governance structures. These interventions are not limited to management levels alone but also focusing on growing the frontline workforce that powers the correctional system.

“These developments demonstrate the zeal with which we are working to increase the pool of correctional officials, strengthen institutional capacity, and stabilise facilities. The intervention here at Pollsmoor must be understood in this broader context.

“We are committed to decisive action whenever lapses occur, while continuing to build a correctional system that is professional, accountable, and resilient,” Thobakgale concluded.

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The offender, identified as Graine Martin, escaped from custody on 9 September, while working as part of facility’s Agricultural Programme.

He was serving a 12-year sentence for three counts of assault and theft, after being sentenced on 29 August 2023.

“Following an intensive search operation, involving SAPS and members of the community, the escapee was found deceased. Preliminary observations indicate that he took his own life through hanging,” the department said.

A police report has been opened with the SAPS with an inquest expected to be conducted “in line with applicable procedures”.

“A full-scale investigation is to be instituted to determine the circumstances surrounding the escape and subsequent death of the offender,” the department said.

Call for G4S termination at Mangaung

Meanwhile, the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services has called for the immediate termination of government’s contract with the private security service G4S, that manages the Mangaung Correctional Centre.

This follows a briefing from DCS on unnatural inmate deaths, with specific reference to Mangaung, Goodwood and Oudtshoorn correctional centres.

Committee chairperson Kgomotso Anthea Ramolobeng accused G4S of “acting as a law unto themselves,” highlighting the committee heard that G4S only provided a report last week on the unnatural death of an inmate that occurred in March 2025, in Mangaung.

According to the statement, in March this year, an inmate at Manguang died following a search operation in which “offenders were allegedly assaulted and tortured”.

The inmate – who was an asthma patient – sustained “severe injuries, including blunt force trauma from tonfas and complications from pepper spray exposure” and died the following day.

The committee heard the contractor presented pre-drafted statements to officials to sign off to ensure their versions aligned. Officials were allegedly also advised to assault the inmate on his body and not the face in order to hide the marks.

“In addition, the committee heard that throughout the investigation into the incident, G4S and its employees sought to conceal the truth and obscure the investigation. This is viewed in serious light as it is tantamount to defeating the ends of justice.

“G4S’s refusal to provide reports about the March incident to DCS and only complied on 4 September, which amounts to refusing to take responsibility,” Ramolobeng said in a statement.

The centre gained infamy following the escape and subsequent re-arrest of convicted rapist and murderer, Thabo Bester, in 2022 and 2023.

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GroundUp spoke to a prisoner, John (not his real name), who is terminally ill with cancer. He struggles to walk and his eyesight is deteriorating. He says he often has to rely on other inmates to help him with basic tasks.

John is serving a life sentence and has applied for medical parole in a bid to spend his final days with his wife and family. Since applying last year, he says the process has cost him over R140,000 in fees for private doctor assessments, a lawyer, and other expenses.

Louis Snyman, associate attorney at Beyers Incorporated, told us that private attorney fees for the process can run between R20,000 and R30,000. If the prisoner needs to go to the doctor, then transport and security must also be covered, and can run to R50,000.

John says he remains hopeful, though he knows that his chances are slim.

“It’s unbearable to know that my husband is in pain and I am not there to hold him, comfort him, and to take care of him in the way that I promised,” his wife told GroundUp.

Flaws in the system

In the 2024/25 financial year there were 80 medical parole applications, according to Department of Correctional Services (DCS) spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo. Of these, 27 were rejected, 38 were accepted and 15 applicants died before their applications were finalised. In the preceding three years, there were 214 applications with 91 rejected and a total of 15 deaths.

The Correctional Services Regulations set out six pages of information needed for a medical parole application. The information required should include: doctors’ reports on the prisoner’s health, reports from correctional officers, details of the inmates crimes, and information about what support is available for the prisoner if they are released on medical parole.

The 21 medical conditions considered include infectious diseases such as severe cerebral malaria, non-infectious conditions such as certain stage four cancers, dementia, and cardiac disease with multiple organ failure. Conditions not on the list may be considered with adequate motivation.

Nxumalo says allocating a medical parole application to a Medical Parole Advisory Board is supposed to happen within one day. After the assessments, the board takes this into its monthly meeting and is supposed to inform the correctional centre within three days.

“Medical parole is supposed to be a very straightforward process,” says Snyman.

But in practice, Snyman has found that while some prisons made this process efficient and clear, others caused months of frustration to no avail.

“There’s no uniformity,” he said.

He suspects results depend on trivialities, like whether the inmate is well-liked by wardens or whether a particular staff member is on duty when the application is made.

The first medical parole application he made on behalf of a prisoner was in 2022. The prisoner was confined to either his wheelchair or his bed. Doctors estimated he had about six months to live.

“Modderbee [prison] was quite an experience for me, because everything that the law states was, in my opinion, not followed.”

When Snyman did get a response, it was a PDF with the medical parole outcomes of sixteen cases, not his alone.

“Not one medical parole application was accepted. There was no correspondence. There was no feedback. There was nothing.”

He remembers having to break the news to the family.

He says at the core of medical parole is the belief that South Africans, no matter their crimes, have the right to dignity and healthcare. “They deserve that level of dignity, not to die in a four-by-four steel cell with 20 other people,” said Snyman.

Ministerial review

A review of the overall parole system was announced by the responsible minister back in 2015, in response to “endless litigations due to inefficiencies which led to delays”, according to a recent departmental report on its progress.

The review was recommended for tabling to Cabinet in 2023, but according to the report, the department is “currently engaging internally with the executive authority prior to finalisation”.

The proposed solution is a three-tier system of parole boards, though it is not yet clear how this would affect medical parole.

According to the report, the department is also in the process of changing financial and organisational structures to improve staffing. Five positions on the medical advisory parole board were advertised in several provinces in March 2025. At least one member per province must be in place for the functioning of the board.

Poor outcomes

An official at the prison oversight body, the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS), speaking anonymously, told GroundUp the prison “environment significantly contributes to deteriorating health among inmates, particularly those who enter the system with terminal or chronic illnesses, which tend to worsen during incarceration”.

“For those with legitimate needs, being denied parole can lead to frustration, hopelessness, and behavioural issues within the facility, which also affects staff morale and operations.”

The official said that in recent months, new requirements, not yet public, including a formal risk assessment for inmates, have been added, further slowing down the process.

Dr Chesné Albertus, senior lecturer at the Department of Criminal Justice and Procedure at the University of the Western Cape, said one of the flaws in the current law is that it largely relies on the written recommendations of a correctional medical practitioner, rather than a more thorough independent confirmation.

“Room for error and unfair outcomes are possible as a result.”

She said the exact powers and functions of the Medical Parole Advisory Board also need clarification.

Albertus believes that the reason for the low number of successful applications may be in part because of the shortage of medical professionals in the correctional system.

Secondly, medical practitioners on the medical parole advisory board may be overly cautious, especially because prisoners whose health happens to improve do not need to return to prison.

She said prisons in South Africa rarely do a good job of offering palliative care to dying inmates.

Written by Elna Schütz for GroundUp and republished with permission. The original article can be found here.

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Commissioner Thobakgale emphasised that successful reintegration depends heavily on the oversight of guardians, urging both families and communities to take a more active role in ensuring compliance with parole conditions.

“Guardians play a crucial role in helping parolees reintegrate successfully. They are expected to provide consistent guidance and ensure adherence to parole conditions. Unfortunately, some parents become overly defensive when violations occur, while others are unaware of the parolees’ whereabouts or allow them out at night, contrary to their restrictions. Community members must also step in and report violations,” he said.

The Mamelodi operation formed part of a nationwide monitoring campaign focusing on parolees convicted of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF). Conducted under the Women’s Month programme, the initiative seeks to curb reoffending.

“We focused on Mamelodi due to the high GBVF-related parole caseload. It is critical to ensure that these individuals do not reoffend,” Thobakgale explained.

The joint operation, carried out with the Emergency Support Team (EST), South African Police Service (SAPS), and Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens, involved visits to 44 parolees’ homes.

As a result, Community Corrections officials were instructed to re-educate guardians on their duties, with the possibility of appointing alternative guardians where necessary. Parolees who were absent during visits were issued warnings, and Thobakgale cautioned that repeated breaches could lead to parole being revoked.

One parolee was returned immediately to a correctional facility after being found consuming alcohol, a clear violation of his parole conditions.

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In response to a Parliamentary question, DCS clarified that it does not hold direct authority to discipline G4S employees, as this responsibility falls under the company’s internal processes. However, the Department retains the power to suspend or withdraw certificates of operation of any G4S employee deemed unfit for duty under the Correctional Services Act and related contractual provisions.

According to information submitted to the Department, between April 2023 and the present:

• 19 employees were suspended

• 12 were dismissed

• 20 resigned before investigations were concluded

These cases were linked to allegations of corruption, dereliction of duty, and security violations.

The Department further confirmed that financial penalties had been enforced. Since the inception of the contract, a total of R2.5 million has been recovered from Bloemfontein Correctional Contracts (BCC), the consortium managing the facility, with G4S as subcontractor overseeing daily operations.

The Supervisory Committee, which adjudicates on compliance matters, meets every two to three months to consider observation notices. Its rulings become binding within 14 days unless contested by either party, and the Department enforces penalty decisions when necessary.

In terms of independent oversight, the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS) remains the primary watchdog. JICS is mandated to inspect correctional centres, ensure humane treatment of inmates, and report on corruption and systemic failures directly to Parliament.

The revelations underscore persistent concerns over the management of Mangaung Correctional Centre, one of only two privately run prisons in South Africa. While DCS can enforce penalties and restrict operations, critics argue that the reliance on G4S’s internal disciplinary procedures continues to raise questions about accountability and transparency in cases of misconduct.

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The DCS acknowledged that several correctional officials have been implicated in contraband smuggling. Actions taken include suspensions, internal disciplinary hearings under the DCS Disciplinary Code, and referrals to SAPS for criminal investigation and prosecution. Some cases have already resulted in arrests, while others remain under investigation or await disciplinary outcomes. The department reiterated its zero-tolerance stance towards corruption.

In the second quarter of the 2024/25 financial year, a heightened “Operation Clean-up” was carried out across multiple facilities, including Thohoyandou. This initiative led to the confiscation of drugs, mobile phones, and other prohibited items, with arrests of both external suppliers and internal facilitators. Intelligence gathered jointly by DCS and SAPS continues to guide such operations.

The DCS has committed to making relevant audit and inspection reports public, subject to operational security considerations. The most recent findings show improved contraband detection measures, such as the installation of body scanners and enhanced perimeter security at Thohoyandou. Nevertheless, the department continues to face challenges in curbing internal collusion and evolving smuggling tactics.

As of June 2025, Thohoyandou Correctional Centre was operating at approximately 135% of its approved capacity. Measures to reduce overcrowding include parole policy reviews, transfers of low-risk inmates, and infrastructure maintenance to increase usable space.

Mechanisms to ensure accountability include integrity testing, lifestyle audits of high-risk officials, collaboration with SAPS on corruption cases, enforcement of the DCS Code of Conduct, and anti-corruption strategies. Whistle-blower protections and confidential reporting channels are also in place, with guilty parties facing dismissal, prosecution, and referral to oversight bodies.

The department emphasised that these efforts form part of an ongoing campaign to strengthen prison security, uphold the rule of law, and restore public trust.

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Persistent and Widespread Problem
The figures reveal a persistent challenge in preventing the smuggling of contraband into prisons. Confiscations were reported in facilities across all provinces, including maximum-security, medium, remand, and youth centres. In many cases, multiple drug types were recovered in the same facility, suggesting both high consumption rates among inmates and the presence of organised supply networks.

In the 2022–23 financial year, East London Maximum in the Eastern Cape recorded the single largest dagga seizure at 33,887 kg, followed by Durban Maximum in KwaZulu-Natal with 11,269 kg and Kgosi Mampuru II Central in Gauteng with 12,429.49 kg. Large seizures of methamphetamine, mandrax tablets, nyaope, whoonga capsules, cocaine and ecstasy tablets were also reported across the country.

Shifts in Drug Trends
In 2023–24, dagga seizures remained dominant. East London Maximum recorded 16,663 kg, while Kirkwood in the Eastern Cape reported 12,419 kg. Durban Maximum recorded 16,112 kg. Notably, high-volume seizures of crystal meth, cocaine, and ecstasy tablets became more frequent, alongside continued interceptions of whoonga and nyaope. Barberton Maximum in Mpumalanga reported 1,645 kg of dagga.

Preliminary 2024–25 data shows similar patterns. East London Maximum recorded 20,805 kg of dagga, Klerksdorp in the North West reported 6,679.6 kg, and Kirkwood registered 9,927 kg. Goodwood in the Western Cape seized 12,571 kg, and Durban Maximum reported 4,928 kg. Dagga continues to dominate seizures, but ecstasy, cocaine, and methamphetamine appear in higher quantities than in earlier years.

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In response to a parliamentary question posed by FF+ MP Heloise Denner, the Minister of Correctional Services, Dr Pieter Groenewald, revealed that consultancy and advisory services were utilised in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years, as well as from April 2025 to the latest reporting date. Expenditure on consultants totalled R61.8 million in 2023/24 and surged to R119.3 million in 2024/25. A partial expenditure of R8.4 million has been recorded so far in 2025/26.

Consultants Appointed Due to Skills Gaps

The Department admitted to hiring consultants in several cases due to “inadequate technical capacity” within its ranks. Four firms, Entsika Consulting, Kulungwana Accountants, Nexia SAB&T, and Mashudu Tinyiko Consulting, were specifically brought in under these circumstances, with cumulative spending on their services reaching over R143 million across the 2023/24 to 2025/26 period.

The Department defended the use of external consultants, stating that the appointments were informed by “the nature, urgency, and temporary scope of work required”. According to the response, a cost-benefit analysis indicated that hiring permanent staff to meet short-term or highly specialised needs would not be financially sustainable, due to the long-term commitments involved in full-time employment.

Breakdown of Key Contracts

Among the significant contracts:

• Entsika Consulting received over R42 million across three years.

• Kulungwana Accountants was paid more than R46 million for financial and advisory services.

• Mashudu Tinyiko Consulting received nearly R49 million.

The services rendered by these firms included financial management, advisory support, and technical expertise not available within the department’s current staffing structure.

In addition to bridging staffing gaps, several consultants were engaged for other departmental needs. These included:

• South African Bureau of Standards Commercial, with a R4.3 million contract spanning 2023 to 2026.

• CSIR, receiving nearly R13.3 million for various scientific and technical services.

• Food Safety Agency, contracted for food-related compliance across multiple facilities.

Some consultancies, such as Capic SA (R1.2 million) and Mukumba Consulting and Projects (R10 million), had contract periods stretching back to 2018 or 2019 and were still ongoing.

Legislative Compliance and Governance Roles

The Department clarified that certain expenditures, while categorised under “Consultants: Business and Advisory Services”, pertain to mandatory governance functions. These include audit and risk management committee services, which are legally required and not part of the operational consultancy contracts listed.

While the Department argues that consultancy appointments are a strategic and cost-conscious response to temporary or urgent needs, the sheer scale of annual spending and the repeated extension of some contracts raise concerns about the underlying structural capacity of the Department.

No figures were provided on how much it would cost to permanently fill the roles currently handled by consultants. However, the ongoing reliance on external providers points to persistent internal limitations that may not be addressed in the near term.

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The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) briefed the committee on the use and outcomes of Section 49G of the Correctional Services Act (CSA) and Section 62F of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA), both designed to reduce the remand population and ease pressure on correctional facilities.

Committee Chairperson, Ms Kgomotso Anthea Ramolobeng, called for closer cooperation between the DCS and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DOJ&CD), urging both departments to improve the implementation of these provisions to make a measurable impact.

Section 49G of the CSA sets a two-year cap on the detention of remand detainees (RDs), requiring court oversight if that limit is reached without resolution of the case. Section 62F of the CPA allows courts to impose additional bail conditions, such as placing an accused person under supervision, rather than keeping them in custody.

However, the committee heard that these tools have been largely ineffective. In the 2022/23 financial year, the success rate for Section 49G applications was just 1.25%, with 12,283 cases referred to courts nationwide. The Eastern Cape and Western Cape each reported a 0% success rate that year. In 2023/24, the Eastern Cape again recorded no successful applications. In 2024/25, only one of 142 cases in the province succeeded, with two successes recorded so far in the current financial year.

The committee was also informed that around 40% of sentenced inmates are serving sentences longer than 15 years, including life sentences. These long-term convictions limit the turnover of inmates, meaning bed space remains tied up for extended periods. As a result, overcrowding persists despite legislative tools aimed at relief.

Ms Ramolobeng highlighted the need to boost capacity in community corrections, arguing that more effective oversight outside prison walls would increase judicial confidence in placing remand detainees under supervision instead of behind bars.

“The outcomes of Section 49G applications, particularly in the Eastern Cape, are deeply concerning,” she said. “The committee will raise the matter directly with the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, who is responsible for these referrals.”

She confirmed that the committee would continue to push for proper implementation of both Sections 49G and 62F, stressing that these provisions can help address overcrowding, but only if applied consistently and backed by proper institutional support.

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The Wednesday evening operation focused on the Remand Section of the facility and involved an intensive search of remand detainees and sentenced offenders working in the kitchen area.

Over 800 inmates were searched in a carefully coordinated intervention designed to rid the facility of illegal contraband and restore institutional discipline.

The National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Makgothi Thobakgale, led the sweeping operation which resulted in the seizure of a significant quantity of prohibited items, demonstrating the ongoing challenges posed by illicit activities within correctional centres.

Among the items confiscated were:

• 119 cellphones

• 74 cellphone chargers

• 50 cable chargers

• 41 cellphone batteries

• 34 sim cards

• 81 sharp objects

• 37 dagga pipes

• 305 packets of dagga (totaling 854.80 grams)

• 36 mandrax tablets (approximately 50 grams)

• Tik packets (34.00 grams)

• Cash amounting to R363.60

• Various other contraband items.

“The operation was executed with precision and professionalism by a combined team of 124 Emergency Support Team (EST) members from Correctional Services, supported by 23 officials from the South African Police Service (SAPS) and seven officers from the Metro Police.

“The collaborative nature of this initiative affirms the department’s commitment to working closely with law enforcement partners to combat the smuggling and possession of contraband inside correctional centres,” said the Department of Correctional Services.

The National Commissioner emphasised the strategic importance of sustained search operations, particularly in high-risk areas such as the Remand Section.

“These operations are not only necessary but vital. They reinforce our resolve to run safe, secure, and rehabilitative correctional environments where the environment is conducive for correction, development, and reformation.”

He reiterated that contraband not only undermines institutional security but also compromises the rehabilitation process of inmates.

The department said it will continue to strengthen its internal security measures and deploy targeted interventions in identified hotspots across the country.

“The success of the Pollsmoor operation sends a clear message that contraband has no place in our correctional centres, and the department will continue to act decisively to protect the integrity of the correctional system,” said the department.

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