South Africa punishes thousands of prison officials over misconduct
South African Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald has said that 2,388 correctional officials were subjected to disciplinary action during the 2025/26 financial year, including cases involving corruption and the smuggling of contraband such as cellphones and drugs.
This comes after EFF Member of Parliament (MP) Nontando Nolutshungu asked Groenewald to provide details on the progress of the department’s gang management strategy since a Portfolio Committee briefing on 4 March 2026, the funding allocated to the strategy, and measurable outcomes achieved.
She also sought information on disciplinary action against officials and plans to address perimeter security vulnerabilities at correctional facilities. In response, Groenewald said 289 officials had been suspended and 118 dismissed during the period under review.
”The officials who were subjected to disciplinary action, suspension and dismissal in the 2025/26 FY for involvement in the following: 2388 officials were involved in misconducts, 25 officials were involved in corruption, 137 officials were involved in aiding the smuggling of contraband such as cell-phones and drugs,” Groenewald said in his parliamentary reply.
He said progress made in implementing the gang combating strategy had contributed to declining security incidents across correctional facilities. ”The progress that has been made in the implementation of Gang Combatting Strategy in the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has resulted in declining of security incidents including gang-related violence amongst others,” Groenewald said.
Groenewald said the department had allocated R24.362 million for goods and services linked to operational matters and implementation of strategies, although no funding had been specifically allocated for the gang combating strategy itself.
The minister also presented departmental performance data showing improvements in security operations between the 2023/24 and 2025/26 financial years.
According to the data, the percentage of inmates who escaped from correctional facilities declined from 0.030% in 2023/24 to 0.029% in 2024/25 and 0.012% in 2025/26, with recorded cases dropping from 20 to 4 and remaining at 4.
The percentage of inmates injured as a result of reported assaults also declined from 4.50% in 2023/24 to 2.28% in 2025/26, while confirmed unnatural deaths in correctional facilities remained relatively stable over the same period.
Addressing infrastructure challenges, Groenewald said the department had developed a multi-year plan to strengthen perimeter security across correctional facilities.
”The DCS multi-year plan is to repair or replace damaged sections of the perimeter fence, where necessary the entire perimeter will be replaced with stronger fence, access control, surveillance, scanning technology, patrols and tighter operational discipline,” he said.
He added that infrastructure funding would be prioritised in areas requiring major fencing upgrades, with a perimeter fencing programme to be aligned with available budgets over a five-year period.
Groenewald said funded perimeter fencing and security projects would be implemented during the 2026/27 financial year at St Albans Management Area in the Eastern Cape and Durban Westville Correctional Centre in KwaZulu-Natal.
