The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has assured Parliament that it is ready to assume full operational responsibility for the Mangaung Correctional Centre from the beginning of next month.
The department’s 25-year public-private partnership with Bloemfontein Correctional Contracts will conclude at the end of June.
“In preparation for the transition, the department has undertaken extensive planning and implementation processes to ensure a seamless transfer of operations.
“The department has presented its operational readiness plans and can confidently affirm that all systems are in place for the successful assumption of responsibility,” the DCS assured in a statement.
The centre will now fall under the Grootvlei Management Area covering the Northern Cape and Free State and will be incorporated into DCS’s operational structure.
“To coordinate the transition, the department established seven dedicated workstreams, each tasked with specific areas of responsibility.
“These workstreams have systematically executed their mandates to ensure uninterrupted service delivery, security and offender management from the first day of the department’s administration,” the statement continued.
A “comprehensive recruitment process” is also underway, aimed at strengthening staff capacity.
“A total of 668 centre-based posts, including professional, specialist and artisan positions, were advertised on 17 April 2026, with the recruitment and selection process expected to be finalised by 30 June 2026. A total of 76 officials have already assumed duty at Mangaung Correctional Centre.
“In addition, 60 Emergency Support Team officials have been identified, trained, and deployed to conduct a comprehensive gang profiling exercise at Mangaung Correctional Centre as part of strengthening security and ensuring a stable correctional environment,” the statement read.
The department noted legal processes underway relating to a Labour Court judgment concerning the “transfer of employees currently employed by G4S at Mangaung Correctional Centre”.
In April this year, the court ruled that the department must absorb at least 500 workers after the termination of G4S’s contract.
The private security company attracted infamy when rapist and murderer Thabo Bester escaped from custody at the Mangaung facility while it was running the prison.
“The department has exercised its right to appeal the judgment, and the matter remains subject to legal processes.
“The department further confirms that all offenders accommodated at Mangaung Correctional Centre have approved Correctional Sentence Plans in place and that all inmates currently remain classified as maximum-security offenders.
“Appropriate offender management systems have been reviewed and aligned to ensure continuity and compliance with departmental standards,” the statement concluded. – SAnews.gov.za
