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Prisoners behind bars in an overcrowded jail cell.
The Correctional Services Department says overcrowding in prisons is placing an enormous burden on its officials. It says budget cuts are also hampering its officials’ ability to manage and provide services at correctional centres. Officials conducted a raid at the Pollsmoor Correctional Facility on Saturday night.
Phones, drugs and various other illegal items were confiscated when officials conducted a raid at the Pollsmoor Correctional Facility on Saturday night.
— SABC News (@SABCNews) April 5, 2026
The prison has around 8,000 offenders.
“Overcrowding puts significant pressure on our resources, including our own staff. If you are in a management area where you are supposed to attend to 3,800 inmates, and suddenly that number doubles, it becomes a serious problem. It means staff are stretched too thin, and the staff-to-inmate ratio is negatively affected,” says Correctional Services National Commissioner, Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale.
National Commissioner Thobakgale Leads Surprise Easter Weekend Search at Pollsmoor Correctional Centre…
Tonight, 04 April 2026, DCS National Commissioner, Mr Makgothi Thobakgale, is leading an unannounced Easter weekend search operation… pic.twitter.com/Xx1v4LZbn1
— The Department Correctional Services 🇿🇦 (@DCS_ZA) April 4, 2026
Thobakgale says this impacts their budget.
“Over the past three financial years, we have been under financial pressure to the tune of around R700 million due to the continuously increasing inmate population,” he adds.
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