Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald has taken aim at inmates who are involved in smuggling phones and other contrabands into prison.
He warned that those who participate in such illegal activities should understand that their days are numbered.
Groenewald was speaking during the tabling of the department’s Budget Vote in Parliament on Wednesday. According to the Minister, officials of the Department of Correctional Services conducted 1,406 raids at facilities across the country, leading to the confiscation of some 37,500 cellphones and contraband.
Compared to the previous Budget Vote period, where Groenewald announced 466 raids, there has been an increase in the number of raids conducted.
Groenewald dismissed claims that the raids showed operational failures in the system; instead, he emphasised that results serve as evidence of an aggressive security strategy.
“The large-scale confiscations and frequent raids demonstrate our increased control over internal threats. Let me be clear: We are effectively purging our prisons of illegal activities.”
Groenewald said a strict zero-tolerance policy will be enforced in the coming year when it comes to the use of cellphones in facilities.
“This will involve transitioning to two-way radios for internal communication. The policy will be initially implemented in select locations and expanded to all facilities.”
Inmates are not the only ones under the department’s scrutiny; officials themselves are also being monitored.
According to Groenewald, a total of 2,388 officials were subjected to disciplinary hearings during the reporting period, and 2,138 of which have been finalised.
Of these 2,388 cases, 137 officials were involved in contraband-related misconduct, the Minister added.
“This reflects progress in improving the efficiency of disciplinary processes and reinforcing a culture of accountability within the department,” he said.