chairperson of Parliament’s Correctional Services Committee Kgomotso Ramolebeng has raised concerns over prisons being short staffed.
(The Post News)– Kgomotso Ramolobeng, the chairperson of Parliament’s Correctional Services Committee, has expressed worry over the staffing ratio in South African prisons, which is 1 warden for every 20 inmates, according to Makgothi Thobakgale, the National Commissioner of Correctional Service. Ramolobeng has stated that the report of the National Commissioner gives cause for concern.
She stressed that though the department cannot control the increase in inmates, the ratio of 1:20 is “seriously concerning,” and it needs to be addressed to make sure that the safety of wardens is “not compromised.” Speaking at a committee hearing on Tuesday, Ramolobeng explained how the Department of Correctional Services intends to implement corrective measures in response to the Public Protector’s recommendations. Among other things, the Public Protector proposed a strategy to prevent an escape and principles for dealing with corruption reports or whistleblowers.
These actions were prompted by the widely reported 2022 escape of convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester. Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka gave the department 30 days to develop an escape prevention strategy and guidelines for the Mangaung correctional facility and 120 days to develop a guideline on how anonymous anti-corruption reports will be attended to when she released her report last September.
At the meeting, the Thobakgale revealed that the department’s ideal staffing ratio is two wardens for every 20 inmates; however, the present ratio has sparked worries about the security of the facilities and the safety of the prison staff.
The committee also heard that the department has complied with the deadlines set out in the Public Protector’s recommendations. However, members of Parliament voiced disappointment with the degree of specificity offered in the department’s action plan, notably in respect to the prevention of escapes and anti-corruption efforts.
Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of Parliament (MP) Kabelo Kgobisa-Ngcaba criticised the action plan’s lack of detail, comparing the presentation to a simple “tick-box exercise.” He also questioned if the safeguards were comprehensive enough. Kgobisa-Ngcaba remarked, “It felt like a checklist exercise where old policies were just dusted off with little thought.”
Correctional services have a difficult time putting these policies into practice, as noted by Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Carl Niehaus. “Correctional services is a particularly difficult environment to manage, and we want to hear more about the practicalities of implementing these measures, not just the theoretical aspects,” he remarked.
Dereleen Jacobs, an MP from ActionSA, was particularly concerned about corruption within the prison system. She asked, “What about the corrupt officials who helped facilitate Bester’s escape? Where is the accountability for them?”
Although he acknowledged that the department has limited resources, Thobakgale defended the department’s work, stressing that the department had made strides in recent years to lower the frequency of escapes. “One escape is one too many,” Thobakgale said, adding that the number of prison escapes has decreased and they are doing their best with the little resources they have.
In response to concerns about corruption, Deputy Minister of Correctional Services Lindiwe Ntshalintshali told MPs that her department submitted the report to Gcaleka within the stipulated deadlines and assured the committee that the department addresses these issues through internal disciplinary procedures.
Moreover, Ramolobeng commended the DCS for adhering to the Public Protector’s deadline and refining its escape prevention strategies. While she noted that there were still gaps in the presented plans, she expressed optimism that these issues could be resolved with further adjustments.
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