The Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services has revealed that many prisons in South Africa are in a state of disrepair. This has raised several safety concerns for both the staff and prisoners. The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI), responsible for repairs, has been unresponsive or slow to act, despite an impressive budget of over R8billion. The Parliamentary Committee overseeing prisons has only been informed of the most severe cases, leaving lesserknown issues unaddressed.
The South African penitentiary system has come under intense scrutiny due to concerns over its effectiveness and security. Recent incidents, including the prison break of Thabo Bester a convicted rapist and murderer from Manguang Prison last year and the emergence of live videos on social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok, have fueled public alarm.
The recent rearrest of Thabo Bester and Dr. Nandipha Magudumana in Tanzania has been a welcome development for the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru). Bester, who had previously escaped from the Mangaung Correctional Center in South Africa, was on the run for several months before being apprehended by South African Crime Intelligence officers.