Parliamentary portfolio committee on correctional services chairperson Kgomotso Ramolobeng listens during the committee’s oversight visit at eBongweni Super-Maximum Correctional Centre in Kokstad.
Image: Supplied
Contraband is smuggled into correctional facilities with the substantial assistance of officials.
This came to light during the parliamentary portfolio committee on correctional service’s oversight visit to correctional facilities in KwaZulu-Natal this week.
The committee visited facilities in Durban (Westville Prison), Pietermaritzburg (Pietermaritzburg Medium Correctional Centre), Kokstad (Kokstad Medium Correctional Centre and eBongweni Super-Maximum Correctional Centre), Empangeni (Qalakabusha Correctional Centre) and Eshowe (Eshowe Correctional Centre).
Contraband
On top of the committee’s list was contraband smuggling, with KZN being one of the two top provinces with contraband in its facilities.
Committee chairperson Kgomotso Ramolobeng said the committee was exposed to how inmates smuggled contraband and the systems they use.
The committee also witnessed first-hand how inmates use wire and ropes to conjure a conveyor belt to smuggle contraband in correctional services centres.
Ramolobeng said it came as a shock but they witnessed what happens in facilities.
She said a few officials bombarded them with emails and messages informing them about officials involved in contraband smuggling.
“Part of the reason that you have officials smuggling contraband is that they’re trying to make extra cash on the side because of certain issues, employee issues that they have in the regional office, equally, the national office is not attending to them,” Ramolobeng said.
Ramolobeng said officials are heavily involved in smuggling contraband into facilities.
“Westville has a high number of cell phones that have been confiscated in raids that they’ve been doing since April to January 2025 which is a high and alarming number, and which tells us that the influx of smuggling contraband in KZN is running high in the Westville facility.”
Ramolobeng commended eBongweni for its contraband-free status and said there was a need to emulate its practices as a benchmark for other correctional facilities facing a flood of contraband.
Infrastructure and posts
On Westville Prison, Ramolobeng said the building has several dilapidated areas and maintenance was needed because of leakages.
She said the committee believes the kitchens are not compliant however, the districts and Health Department (inspectors) operate differently.
“We have a kitchen in the remand detainee unit, which is not working, but infrastructure issues, it’s bad. It’s bad,” Ramolobeng said.
“So we have just indicated to the department (correctional services) that that kitchen must be shut down, must be closed, and they must give us an exit strategy of where they are going to migrate the kitchen and come in… to renovate and try to renew the kitchen before it can go back to being operational.”
On the facilities in Kokstad, Ramolobeng said both facilities are well run, except for minor infrastructural issues and kitchen operations, where some appliances needed to be replaced, especially Kokstad Correctional Centre because it provides food to Ebongweni.
“So those are little gaps that the department, together with Public Works, must be able to come and try to mitigate so that there are no issues.”
Ramolobeng said there were challenges at Pietermaritzburg Medium A and B. Both have problems running their kitchens.
“You have only one stove that is operational, with a high magnitude number of inmates that need to be provided food, which is a serious concern to the department. Infrastructure is dilapidated, and Public Works, together with the department, must come in and try to mitigate the issues, find one another, and be able to provide service where it’s needed.”
Furthermore, Ramolobeng said: “There are a lot of acting positions in both facilities, which the region and the department must try to mitigate.”
The committee recommended that where there are funded posts of the department, and they are vacant, they must be filled and where they are not funded, they should wait for the Department of Public Service and Administration to process.
The Department of Correctional Services did not respond to a request for comment.
thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za
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