Madlanga Commission told guards smuggled more than 100,000 cellphones into prisons

Correctional Services Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale told the Madlanga Commission that guards and officials smuggled more than 100,000 cellphones into South African prisons,

Scale of contraband seized

Thobakgale said a total of 102,720 cellphones were seized in prisons between 2023 and 2026. He told the commission that seizures over the same period also included 158,137 cellphone accessories, 59,788 sharpened objects, drugs valued at R657,801.71 and more than R1 million in cash.

Contraband as an illicit prison economy

Thobakgale described contraband as a central driver of an illicit prison economy that, he said, fuels criminal activity inside correctional centres and strengthens links between incarcerated offenders and criminal networks outside.

“The principal enabler of continued criminal activity in prison is the illicit economy that has developed around contraband including mobile phones, money market, cash, narcotics, weapons and alcohol,”

He told the commission that “certain officials of the Department contribute to the smuggling of contrabands reflected above.”

Organised smuggling networks and gangs

According to Thobakgale, the smuggling networks displayed characteristics associated with organised crime, involving procurement, payment, transportation and delivery. He said cash-send and money-market systems were increasingly used to facilitate transactions.

“This smuggling bears the hallmarks of organised crime,”

He warned that these networks generate proceeds, sustain syndicates and strengthen relationships between gangs inside and outside correctional facilities. Thobakgale said gangs had established internal power structures within correctional facilities, creating security risks that can extend beyond prison walls.

Risks posed by cellphones and local drug markets

Thobakgale highlighted the particular danger posed by cellphones, which allow incarcerated offenders to maintain contact with the outside world despite being prohibited inside correctional centres.

“Incarcerated offenders use them to direct criminal operations, coordinate drug distribution, orchestrate the intimidation or assassination of witnesses and officials, and facilitate fraud against members of the public,”

He also told the commission that the prison contraband market reflected local criminal economies, saying cannabis was more prevalent where it was widely produced and that drugs such as methamphetamine, methaqualone, heroin-based compounds and crack cocaine circulated according to local demand.

Gangs, cross-border links and escapes

Thobakgale pointed to longstanding gang networks, citing the Makaota gang and its alleged links to extortion, contract killings and the mining sector, and noting cross-border connections involving Lesotho and Botswana and links to illegal mining networks. He cited the existence of contract-killing capacity elsewhere, including references to “hammermen” in the Western Cape and “izinkabi” in KwaZulu-Natal.

The commissioner also told the commission that some correctional officials had allegedly assisted inmates in escaping, and cited Edward Madiba as an example.

Testimony concluded

Thobakgale concluded his testimony before the Madlanga Commission on Thursday.