Nearly half of South Africa’s correctional facilities lack adequate perimeter fencing.
A Parliamentary Question reply from Minister for Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald revealed that an estimated R1 billion is required to address the fencing deficiencies at 120 prisons nationwide.
However, the lack of specific completion dates for any of these projects, attributed to funding uncertainties, raises serious concerns about the department’s commitment to rectifying the situation.
Adding to the concern, Minister Groenewald revealed that the DCS estimates the cost of upgrading perimeter fencing at two prisons, one in the Eastern Cape and another in the Western Cape, at over R116 million each. This exorbitant figure raises suspicions of potential corruption and mismanagement.
Further questions have thus been submitted to ascertain the accuracy of these quotes and investigate any possible malfeasance.
This deficiency, coupled with the Department of Correctional Services’ (DCS) failure to outline effective measures in its Escape Prevention Strategy, poses a significant threat to communities across the nation.
This week, the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services strongly criticized the Department for presenting a superficial strategy devoid of substantive measures to prevent incidents like the recent escape of Thabo Bester.
Disturbingly, reports of another escape – this time from Pollsmoor Prison on Sunday, 9 February 2025- surfaced as the committee met, underscoring the urgent need for action.
While the DCS’s mandate includes humane detention, rehabilitation, and social integration, its primary responsibility remains the secure detention of dangerous criminals. The department’s failure to fulfil this fundamental obligation jeopardizes the safety of communities, particularly those in close proximity to correctional facilities, and undermines the broader principles of justice and security in South Africa.
The Democratic Alliance will continue to impress upon the Minister and the leadership of the Department the urgency of addressing the adequate security at South Africa’s prisons before any tragedy forces the Department into action.