86 officials have been charged in connection with unnatural deaths in prisons over the past three years.
The Department of Correctional Services is facing mounting pressure over its handling of deaths in custody after briefing parliament on alarming statistics that show 422 deaths remain unconfirmed or under investigation out of 1 718 total deaths recorded in the first quarter of 2025/26.
Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services received three damning investigation reports detailing deaths at Mangaung, Goodwood and Oudtshoorn correctional centres, revealing patterns of assault, cover-ups and systemic failures in South Africa’s overcrowded prison system.
Suicides lead unnatural deaths
Of the 1 718 total deaths recorded, 1 144 were classified as natural deaths, while 152 were confirmed as unnatural deaths.
However, the alarming figure of 422 deaths classified as “unconfirmed or under investigation” has raised serious questions about transparency and accountability within the correctional system.
“Suicides was the leading cause of confirmed unnatural deaths in correctional facilities for the past three years and Q1 of 2025/26 due to the following reasons: lack of supervision in the units in terms of standard operating procedures, an increase in overcrowding, shortage of staff, delay in handling complaints and request of inmates and mental health issues amongst others,” Dr Botha, from the Department of Correctional Services, told the committee.
Overcrowding reaches crisis levels
The report also revealed that the department manages 163 179 inmates against an approved bed space of 107 067, resulting in an overcrowding level of 52%.
This includes 104 957 sentenced offenders and 57 891 remand detainees.
Of the 152 confirmed unnatural deaths, 67 were suicides while 85 were attributed to unknown causes.
The trend shows a concerning increase over three years, from 42 unnatural deaths in 2022/23 to 48 in 2023/24 and 55 in 2024/25.
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Mangaung centre scandal exposes torture and cover-up attempts
The most shocking revelations came from the investigation into the death of inmate Mpho Mkhumbeni at the privately-run Mangaung Correctional Centre in March 2025.
Temporary manager Mashaba Thakga, appointed after the Thabo Bester escape scandal, detailed a horrific sequence of events.
“Following the escape of Thabo Bester in 2022, the national commissioner invoked section 112 on 29 March and appointed me, Mr Mashaba Thakga, to head Mangaung Correctional Centre. My appointment was to restore operational stability and improve reporting, although my authority was reportedly undermined by certain managers, G4S management,” Thakga told the committee.
The fatal incident began during a mandatory drill on 11 March 2025.
Thakga said he was deliberately not informed about the operation.
“I was not informed of the mandatory drill, which I was supposed to [have been alerted] because upon my appointment when I started in Mangaung, I called a meeting with all the directors and the MD and emphasised that every incident that happened in Mangaung during the day or the night, I must be informed, especially by Mangaung management.”
During a subsequent search operation, Correctional Officer Mr Maarman discovered that his service bag was allegedly missing R800.
According to Thakga, he wasn’t supposed to have the R800 with him in the first place as only amounts up to R180 are allowed in the prison.
Inmate tortured to death
This prompted officials to torture an inmate, Mpho Mkhumbeni, in an attempt to force a confession about the allegedly stolen money.
“This was a serious security breach by the contractor [G4S], as it also compromised the minimum detention standards,” Thakga reported.
The investigation revealed that senior G4S managers not only failed to stop the assault but actively participated in covering it up.
“It has been found, as confirmed by offenders Gopane, Kubheka and Serobe, that Ms La Grange informed the DST officials, during the assault and torture of Mpho Mkhumbeni, that they should not assault him on the face, but rather on the body in order to avoid the visible injuries,” Thakga said.
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Torture confirmed as cause of death
Mkhumbeni collapsed in his cell the following day and was transported to the healthcare facility in a wheelchair.
“The postmortem report determined the cause of death to be unnatural, pointing to complications secondary to the pepper spray and the blunt force trauma,” Thakga revealed.
The investigation uncovered systematic attempts to conceal the truth.
“As it was confirmed by Messrs Maarman and Motshabi, the contractor pre-drafted a statement for them to align theirs in accordance with, after they heard about the death of offender Mpho Mkhumbeni, indicating that they should deny assaulting the offender. They were told by both Ms Anneke La Grange and Mr Derrick De Klerk that if they change the statement, they will be on their own.”
Four correctional officers were subsequently charged with murder and granted R2 000 bail each. The case remains under investigation by police.
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Goodwood death reveals excessive force by officials
The investigation into Goodwood Correctional Centre revealed another case of fatal assault by officials.
Inmate Quinton Fortuin was declared dead at Karl Bremer Hospital on 16 February 2025, after attacking officials with a sharpened object during counting procedures.
Lead investigator Gwambe reported that while Fortuin initially attacked officials, “it is clear that [he] was assaulted by the officials”.
“The force used by the officials involved was not commensurate to the threat posed by the inmate especially after he was disarmed and just lying on the floor.”
The investigation revealed multiple procedural violations and attempts to cover up the incident.
“Mr Matshoba and Mr Shumane acted with dishonesty by backdating the application on the use of force from 17.02.2025 to 16.02.2025,” Gwambe found.
Critical security systems also failed.
“The integrated security system is not fully functional as all the doors are wide open, some of the CCTV cameras are on blind spots, the recording device at the control room is not functional and unable to give an account of all the movements and actions that happen in the centre.”
Overcrowding crisis at Oudtshoorn facility
At Oudtshoorn Correctional Centre, overcrowding has reached dangerous levels of more than 132%, housing 704 inmates in a facility designed for 533.
The centre operates with only 126 staff, instead of the approved 136.
During a joint search operation on 6 August 2025, inmates retaliated violently against officials.
“During unlock on 7 August 2025, officials unlocked cell 05, and while the offenders came out to be counted, offenders Simphiwe Celis, Dominique Williams, Zwai, Luyolo Mhiungulwana (Skroef) attacked the officials using knives and sharpened objects,” Gwambe reported.
The investigation revealed irregularities in the operation’s planning and execution, with the police deploying 92 officers instead of the approved 45.
Committee demands accountability and action
Portfolio Committee chairperson Kgomotso Anthea Ramolobeng expressed frustration over the department’s failure to provide timely reports.
“The meeting was called because the committee had asked for reports on cases of deaths at correctional services but never received those reports.”
DA MP Kabelo Kgobisa-Ngcaba criticised the department’s lack of transparency.
“Each one of these deaths represents not only a loss of life but also a failure on the correctional system to provide safe custody, dignity and rehabilitation. We need to demand not only the explanations that are given here today, but the size of corrective actions with timelines and accountability.”
Committee members raised concerns about the measurement of deaths as percentages rather than absolute numbers, questioning why 422 deaths remain classified as “unknown causes” and demanding action on the G4S contract at Mangaung.
Minister acknowledges resource constraints
Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald defended his department while acknowledging severe resource constraints.
“We must also get the broader picture in terms of the criminal justice system. It’s true that we are obliged in terms of legislation to do certain things and to comply with certain matters. But what it does not say is that government must ensure that there is a sufficient budget to ensure that correctional services can provide those services.”
Groenewald highlighted the impossibility of maintaining adequate security with insufficient staff.
“When I visited Westville, I was confronted with a situation where four, only four wardens had to control about 650 inmates. How do you think it’s fair?”
The minister revealed the department’s budget shortfall, stating it received only R29.2 billion against requirements and are projecting almost R1 billion in overspending.
Ramolobeng criticised the ongoing dysfunction, stating: “G4S is a law unto itself. It decides what it wants to do, when it wants to do it, and no one will tell it otherwise. The contract must come to an end, and the department must take over the facility in its entirety.”
Regarding the G4S contract at Mangaung, Groenewald said he was reluctant to pursue immediate cancellation due to legal costs.
“There’s less than 10 months left for the end of this contract, and at that stage we will have to make a decision. If we now come forward to say we cancel the contract, I can assure you there will be further litigation. It’s going to cost a couple of million rand in legal costs just to try to cancel the contract that ends within 10 months.”
Systemic failures across the correctional system
National Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale provided statistics showing the department employs 71 psychologists and 77 social workers to serve more than 163 000 inmates.
Multiple recruitment drives have been launched, including advertisements for 410 posts in April and 471 posts in May 2025.
The commissioner acknowledged that 86 officials have been charged in connection with unnatural deaths over the past three years, with 43 cases finalised and 43 still in process.
Advanced security systems, including artificial intelligence technology at St Albans Management Area, have been implemented, but Groenewald revealed they lack sufficient personnel to operate these systems effectively.
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