South Africa’s Prison Death Crisis: Over 400 Lives Lost Without Answers

South Africa’s prison system is under the harsh spotlight once again, with revelations that more than 400 inmate deaths remain unaccounted for. A recent parliamentary briefing exposed that out of 1 718 deaths recorded in the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, 422 are still classified as “unconfirmed” or “under investigation.”

The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has admitted that suicides top the list of unnatural deaths in prisons. But as parliamentarians probed further, disturbing stories of torture, cover-ups, and collapsing infrastructure came to light.

A System Buckling Under Pressure

South Africa’s prisons hold 163 179 inmates, crammed into facilities designed for just 107 067 beds. That’s an overcrowding rate of 52%, one of the highest in recent years. In Oudtshoorn, overcrowding has reached 132%, creating tinderbox conditions where violence brews easily.

Mental health struggles, staff shortages, and delayed complaint systems all contribute to the rise in suicides. Yet the bigger picture reveals a system crumbling from within, unable to meet its constitutional duty of safe custody and rehabilitation.

The Mangaung Scandal: Torture and Cover-Ups

Nowhere are the cracks more visible than at the privately-run Mangaung Correctional Centre, already infamous for the Thabo Bester prison escape scandal.

In March 2025, inmate Mpho Mkhumbeni died after being tortured by officials over R800 allegedly missing from a guard’s bag. Witnesses told investigators that senior G4S managers advised staff not to strike Mkhumbeni’s face to avoid visible injuries. The postmortem revealed death caused by blunt force trauma and pepper spray complications.

Even more shocking, investigators found that officials were encouraged to pre-draft statements to deny involvement, revealing a culture of cover-up rather than accountability.

Goodwood and Oudtshoorn: More Deaths, More Questions

At Goodwood prison, inmate Quinton Fortuin died after attacking guards with a sharpened object. While he initiated the assault, investigators concluded that the force used against him was “not commensurate” with the threat, he was already disarmed and lying on the floor.

Meanwhile, in Oudtshoorn, extreme overcrowding sparked violent retaliation when inmates attacked officers with knives and sharpened objects during routine procedures.

These cases underline how a volatile mix of overcrowding, poor planning, and weak oversight continues to spiral into tragedy.

Parliament Demands Answers

During the parliamentary session, MPs expressed outrage at the department’s handling of prison deaths. DA MP Kabelo Kgobisa-Ngcaba argued:

“Each one of these deaths represents not only a loss of life but also a failure of the correctional system to provide safe custody, dignity, and rehabilitation.”

The committee questioned why 422 deaths remain unexplained and pressed the department on whether G4S’s contract at Mangaung should finally be terminated.

Committee chairperson Kgomotso Anthea Ramolobeng was blunt:

“G4S is a law unto itself. The contract must come to an end.”

Minister Points to Budget Gaps

Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald acknowledged the failures but pointed to severe budget constraints.

With only R29.2 billion allocated against higher operational needs, the department is already projecting a R1 billion overspend. Groenewald noted cases where just four wardens had to control over 600 inmates, saying effective security was impossible under such conditions.

The minister also revealed the department employs just 71 psychologists and 77 social workers for more than 163 000 inmates an imbalance that leaves mental health issues largely untreated.

South Africans React: “Prisons Are a Mirror of Society”

On social media, the revelations have ignited debate. Some argue prisoners deserve better as human beings with rights, while others counter that resources should prioritize law-abiding citizens.

Human rights groups, however, warn that prison conditions reflect the state of the justice system as a whole. As one activist put it:

“How a country treats its most vulnerable even those behind bars, says more about its democracy than any election speech.”

A Cycle That Must Break

With 86 officials charged in connection to unnatural deaths over the past three years, it’s clear accountability has been selective and slow. While some reforms are being discussed, like new AI-driven security systems, the real challenge remains understaffing, overcrowding, and a culture of impunity.

Unless systemic changes are made, South Africa’s prisons risk becoming not just places of punishment, but spaces of neglect, brutality, and unchecked loss of life.

{Source: The Citizen}

Follow Joburg ETC on Facebook, Twitter , TikTok and Instagram

For more News in Johannesburg, visit joburgetc.com