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Behind Bars Crisis: Over 170,000 Inmates, Stabbings, and a Mistaken Release Expose Prison System Under Strain
South Africa’s prison system is buckling under a record-breaking population and severe internal failures, with the inmate count soaring to 170,739a staggering 60% over the system’s official capacity of 107,067. In a stark briefing on Monday, National Correctional Services Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale laid bare the consequences of this overcrowding: a surge in contraband, deadly violence, and shocking security lapses that saw an inmate mistakenly walk free.
The festive season’s law enforcement drives pushed the population to its highest point in recent years, placing “immense pressure on infrastructure, staffing, security management and budget,” Thobakgale stated.
Contraband Flood and Systemic Vulnerabilities
The department’s festive season Operation Vala highlighted the scale of the problem. In over 5,500 searches, officials confiscated 8,063 cellphones, R102,726 in cash, 3,144 sharpened objects, 46kg of marijuana, and over 1,000 mandrax tablets in the Western Cape alone. The Western Cape and Gauteng accounted for 56% of all searches, indicating where smuggling pressures are most acute.
A Catalogue of Catastrophic Failures
Beyond the contraband, Thobakgale detailed three grave incidents from late 2025 that expose dangerous systemic cracks:
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The Mistaken Release: At Pollsmoor Remand Detention Facility in September, inmate Thembalethu Daba impersonated another prisoner scheduled for court. He bypassed identification, appeared before a magistrate under a false name, and was released on a warning. His absence was only noticed that evening. He was re-arrested 12 days later. The investigation cited failures in supervision, biometric system functionality, and management oversight.
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Deadly Response to an Attack: In October, three remand detainees allegedly stabbed two prison officials. Responding officers killed all three inmates. An investigation found some officials “applied force outside the prescripts,” and disciplinary action has been taken.
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Inmate-Killed, Officers Stabbed: During a search operation at Oudtshoorn Correctional Centre in August, a coordinated inmate attack left four officials stabbed. The alleged ringleader, Simphiwe Celise, was killed by officers during the violent clash. The investigation found “serious failures,” including irregular use of force and oversight breakdowns.
Accountibility Promised Amid Overwhelming Strain
Thobakgale pledged transparency and accountability, stating disciplinary proceedings would be instituted against implicated officials, managers, and medical personnel. “These matters directly affect public safety, human rights, staff security and the integrity of the correctional system,” he said.
The briefing painted a picture of a system pushed far beyond its limitsa tinderbox of overcrowding where contraband fuels violence, security protocols fail, and both inmates and staff are at extreme risk. The commissioner’s admissions are a first step, but with over 63,000 inmates crammed beyond capacity, the path to a safe, lawful, and ethical correctional system appears longer than ever.
{Source: Citizen}
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