Parliament, Saturday, 12 October September 2024 – The Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services yesterday concluded its oversight programme to correctional centres in Gauteng. The programme which was successfully conducted included an unannounced visit to Boksburg Correctional Centre.
The committee visited the Emthonjeni Correctional Centre for juveniles, Leeuwkop Correctional Centre, Kgoshi Mampuru II Correctional Centre for females, Modderbee Correctional Centre and Johannesburg Correctional Centre. The committee also visited the Judicial Inspectorate of Correctional Services (JICS) Head Office.
Committee Chairperson Ms Kgomotso Anthea Ramolobeng said the planned unannounced visit to Boksburg Correctional Centre was to see first-hand unfolding of life in a South African correctional centre.
Ms Ramolobeng said: “We just arrived unannounced at the centre on Friday because of the perception that there would be some cleanup on areas they did not want us to see. So, we did not allow the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) to clean-up. We were happy to see normality at the centre, the centre being very clean, well-co-ordinated and all systems are running well.”
She said the committee urged the DCS to invite all heads of centres to Boksburg to come and see how a facility should be run.
The committee has taken note of the state of infrastructure at the facilities during the oversight visit and noted with concern the challenges of overcrowding. “We must, however, remember the DCS does not have control over the number of offenders in its centres. It is an end-user. The police arrests offenders, they go to court and then end up in the centres. Also, some of our centres house huge number of undocumented foreign nationals,” added Ms Ramolobeng.
She said the committee expressed serious concern about the Modderbee Correctional Centre. “We noted infrastructure challenges, problems with management systems and the overall coordination of the centre. We therefore gave the DSC three months to correct the challenges at the facility and do consequences management.” The DCS must then report back to the committee after three months has lapsed to provide the committee with a progress report.
According to her, budget cuts and overcrowding translate to infrastructure challenges. “The committee noted that some cells and kitchens needed maintenance and more equipment. We appeal to the DCS to stretch its budget by encouraging offenders to assist growing food, to be responsible for light maintenance, baking bread and sewing of uniforms. These can all assist the DCS to rather spend that money on heavy maintenance and other necessary items.”
The committee also noted the vacancies in the DCS and requested a detailed plan on how it intends to deal with it and when it intends to fill positions.
Regarding contraband items found during recent unannounced visits by DCS officials, she said the DCS should have more regular searches and actions should be taken against inmates and officials alike if found to have contributed to the smuggling of contraband.
Ms Ramolobeng said the committee has noted all the plans provided by the DCS and centres and will continue to exercise its oversight role by monitoring the implementation of those plans. “We will be forwarding recommendations to the DCS on what we found during the oversight visit,” continued Ms Ramolobeng.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, MS KGOMOTSO ANTHEA RAMOLOBENG.
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