Parliament, Friday, 10 October 2025 – The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services, Ms Kgomotso Ramolobeng, said prisons should not be centres of further illegality.
Today, the committee visited Oudtshoorn correctional facility in the Western Cape, where it concluded its week-long oversight visit to the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces.
Ms Ramolobeng urged correctional services officers to uphold the intention and the vision of government policy, which is to ensure correctional centres empower and reskill offenders. She said the approach is a brilliant idea but it has been hijacked by ill-meaning prison officials and incorrigible offenders.
“We want change, and we must change to perfect the system. We are happy we were able to visit prisons in the Eastern Cape and experienced the week,” said Ms Ramolobeng.
She said the system is working but the simple things, like fixing leaking taps and reroofing kitchens, must be done with urgency. “Departments need to work well together to effect the change I have mentioned. Broken workshop machines should be procured with speed. If not done, that affects everything you are doing, even the participation by offenders.”
“People who’ve been in our facilities must be positively influenced. And the positivity should reflect even among officers. These ought not to be centres where cultures other than empowerment flourish or are allowed to flourish. The programmes offered by DCS should be enough to skill and change offender behaviour.”
The committee observed that employers have trust issues about employing released offenders. “So, we are saying to South Africans, let’s all be part of the change and where possible give these offenders the second chance in life. DCS would have acted on sound advice before releasing them,” Ms Ramolobeng said.
She also noted that despite various challenges, including vacancies, the officer/offender ratio and kitchen infrastructure, the committee’s oversight visit in the Eastern Cape was an overwhelming success overall.
Furthermore, departments must ensure that they action the committee’s recommendations, which will be tabled in due course.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, MS KGOMOTSO ANTHEA RAMOLOBENG.
For media inquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Sibongile Maputi (Mr)
Cell: 081 052 6060
E-mail: smaputi@parliament.gov.za
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