KZN police boss warns prisons are ‘breeding grounds’ for gangs

KwaZulu‑Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant‑General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi told Parliament that South Africa’s correctional facilities are becoming “breeding grounds” for crime and gangs, warning that offenders can leave prison more hardened and connected to criminal networks than when they entered.

MPs hear concerns about rehabilitation and recruitment

Mkhwanazi addressed MPs on Wednesday, questioning whether correctional facilities are fulfilling their purpose of rehabilitating offenders. He said some people “walk in there innocent, not knowing much. They come out, they have been coached into being numbers, and they can speak the language.”

He warned the current situation could be reinforcing a cycle of violence: “We chase the street, we arrest them, we send them to prison. They become hard gangs, and they come out with new strategies. And the circle continues,” he said.

Allegations of staff involvement and contraband

Mkhwanazi raised concerns about correctional officials’ role in smuggling contraband into facilities, saying “one of the officials was arrested recently, wanting to take contraband into one of the correctional facilities.” He said that arrest signalled deeper problems inside prisons.

The Department of Correctional Services reported the prison population stood at 169,519 in May and said the system had an overcrowding rate of 58%.

Disciplinary action and raids

According to IOL, during the 2025/26 financial year 2,388 correctional officials faced disciplinary action, including 137 officials implicated in aiding the smuggling of contraband such as cellphones and drugs. IOL reported that 289 officials were suspended and 118 dismissed during that period.

The department also reported that more than 37,500 cellphones and other contraband were confiscated during 1,406 prison raids in the 2025/26 financial year. IOL has previously reported concerns about criminal activity being co‑ordinated from inside correctional facilities, with investigator Mike Bolhuis saying some major gangs continued to operate from prisons.

Calls for wider scrutiny of the criminal justice system

Mkhwanazi urged that scrutiny should extend beyond policing to the entire criminal justice system, including correctional services, courts and individuals employed across the system. He asked whether people working in those institutions could themselves be linked to gangs and said “nobody is immune.”

His remarks place renewed focus on how prisons, staff conduct and overcrowding intersect with gang activity and rehabilitation outcomes.