The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) is expected to institute disciplinary proceedings against senior managers and officials implicated in several – but unrelated – incidents at correctional facilities.
This was announced by DCS National Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale during a media briefing in Pretoria on Monday.
Last year, several incidents, including an erroneous inmate release, inmate deaths and attacks on officials, were recorded at correctional centres in the Western Cape, leading to internal investigations.
“These investigations were conducted in terms of the Correctional Services Act, 111 of 1998, with the objectives of establishing facts, determining accountability, restoring public confidence and ensuring appropriate corrective and disciplinary action.
“These matters have been made public because they directly affect public safety, human rights, staff security and the integrity of the correctional system. Transparency is essential to maintaining public trust and demonstrating accountability.
“The department will institute disciplinary proceedings against implicated senior managers and officials, address systemic weaknesses, and ensure that correctional centres are managed in a lawful, ethical and professional manner,” the National Commissioner said.
Thobakgale revealed findings of investigations related to:
- The Oudtshoorn Correctional Centre.
- The erroneous release at the Pollsmoor Remand Detention Facility.
- The stabbing of officials and deaths of remand detainees at Pollsmoor.
“Given the spate of incidents and the prevailing instability in the Western Cape, I, as the National Commissioner, have recommended to the Minister that criminal and disciplinary matters be handled by an independent legal entity external to Correctional Services.
“The nature of these incidents, combined with the province’s high levels of crime and the alleged orchestration of criminal activity within our correctional centres, necessitates the implementation of extraordinary measures,” Thobakgale said.
Oudtshoorn Medium A Correctional Centre
At Oudtshoorn in August last year, a violent altercation left four officials with stab wounds and one inmate, Simphiwe Celise, dead during the execution of a routine search operation.
“The investigation established that offender Simphiwe Celise played a leading role in the attack on correctional officials. Celise subsequently died following physical altercations with officials and his death was classified as unnatural.
“The investigation also found that this situation could have been mitigated, had management anticipated the strong likelihood of retaliation, given the overt warning signs displayed by inmates on the previous day.
“It further established that management at both Area and Centre levels failed to exercise effective command and control of the operation. There was inadequate risk assessment, insufficient coordination of operational responses, and a lack of decisive leadership to stabilise the unit once the initial search had concluded,” Thobakgale noted.
Furthermore, serious failures were identified, including “non-compliance with use-of-force prescripts, unprocedural reporting and systemic breakdowns in oversight”.
“Disciplinary action will be instituted against implicated officials, managers and medical personnel, while [other] offenders involved in the stabbing will face disciplinary processes also,” Thobakgale said.
Pollsmoor Correctional Facility
In September last year, inmate Thembalethu Inganathi Daba was erroneously released under another detainee’s identity.
Daba posed as another inmate who was scheduled to appear in court, managed to bypass identification processes, misrepresented himself before the court and was subsequently released on a warning.
Thobakgale noted that the investigation into the incident found that “this was not an administrative error but a deliberate escape facilitated by impersonation and operational failures”.
“The incident was detected only during a routine roll call. He was re-arrested 12 days later.
“The investigation identified failures in inmate supervision, advance availability of court lists and management oversight, including the functionality of biometric systems. Criminal and disciplinary processes are underway, alongside corrective measures to prevent recurrence,” the National Commissioner said.
At least a month later (October) at the same facility, two correctional officials were attacked and stabbed by at least three detainees.
The attack on the officials, who called for backup, led to the subsequent deaths of the remand detainees.
Thobakgale noted that the incident followed an “unauthorised departure of several officials from the unit, resulting in a serious breach of security controls”.
“The investigation established that the three inmates… initiated an attack on the two officials, who acted in self-defence.
“However, it further found that some of the officials, who responded to the incident, applied force outside the prescripts. The investigation also identified significant shortcomings in risk assessment processes, gang management protocols and the supervision of inmates.
“Disciplinary action is being instituted against implicated officials, as well as supervisory and security management for dereliction of duty. Corrective measures include reclassification of inmates, strengthened gang management and tighter controls on inmate labour,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
