Parliament’s Portfolio Committee (PC) on Correctional Services embarked on a weeklong oversight visit to six Gauteng management areas, namely Baviaanspoort (Emthonjei Juvenile Correctional Centre), Leeuwkop (Farms and workshops), Kgoši Mampuru II (C-Max, Unisa Hub, and the Atteridgeville Gender Responsive Centre for Women), Modderbee, Johannesburg (Remand Detention and Female Centre), and ending off with an unannounced visit to Boksburg Correctional Centre. The aim of the oversight which took place from 08 to 11 October 2024, was to gain first-hand insight into the management areas operations and to take stock of challenges that are bedevilling the smooth operations of the Department of Correctional Services.
In her remarks, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services, Kgomotso Ramolobeng said the oversight was largely an eye-opening experience for the Committee.
“When we visited Baviaanspoort and Modderbee Correctional Centres, we noticed that the centres are overcrowded with foreign nationals, in particular Modderbee Correctional Centre; the operational systems were not working and inmates were loitering unmonitored. We recommend consequence management to be implemented in that instance. The issue of foreign nationals overcrowding our correctional facilities is a cause for concern and is an indication that we need to strengthen our inter-governmental bilateral relations with the departments of Home Affairs and International Relations and Cooperation, with a view to come up with mechanisms to relieve our correctional centres,” she said.
The PC was generally buoyant about the operations at Johannesburg and Boksburg Correctional Centres respectively. “Operations are running efficiently at Johannesburg Correctional Centre, with few negative factors. We are extremely delighted with the management and operations of Boksburg Correctional Centre. We arrived unannounced and found systems in place. The facility is clean and neat. We invite other management areas to use Boksburg as a benchmark in their operations,” she said. The PC was also satisfied with the management of Leeuwkoop and Atteridgeville Gender Responsive Centre for Women.
Deputy Minister of Correctional Services, Lindiwe Ntshalintshali welcomed the recommendations put forward by the members of the Portfolio Committee, and gave an assurance that the Department will implement corrective action.
“We note issues raised by the Portfolio Committee and we will attend to them swiftly. Remand detainees spending more time in our facilities is posing a serious challenge. However, we will take guidance from the Committee on how to approach such cases. We had Operation Shanela which brought ten thousand offenders into our facilities in one weekend. This is compounded by a large group of remand detainees that return from court thus putting further strain on the system that is already under immense pressure,” she explained.
Deputy Minister Ntshalintshali also highlighted that while overcrowding is an issue, DCS must also grapple with high expenditure resulting from growing operational demands. “We now must provide for a population we do not have a budget for, failing which, we will be held accountable by the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS) and other instituions. We certainly need additional budget to cater for the extra offenders we receive,” she said.
National Commissioner, Makgothi Thobakgale said the DCS is grateful for the PC’s oversight visit, adding that it has given the Department an opportunity to introspect. He said DCS learned valuable and positive lessons from the PC’s oversight visit, assuring that a feedback session will be held with all Area and Regional Commissioners.