By Levy Masiteng
The Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services has called for the immediate termination of G4S’s contract to manage the Mangaung Correctional Centre, citing the company’s refusal to take accountability for wrongdoing at the privately run facility.
Committee chairperson Kgomotso Anthea Ramolobeng accused G4S of “acting as a law unto themselves” and said their actions warranted the cancellation of their contract.
The decision followed a briefing this week by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) on unnatural inmate deaths across its facilities. According to the committee’s communications officer, Rajaa Azzakani, 1,718 deaths were recorded over the past three years, including 1,144 natural deaths, 152 confirmed unnatural deaths, and 422 cases still under investigation.
“Shockingly, 67 of these unnatural deaths were suicides, 55 homicides, and 22 of unknown causes,” Azzakani said.
Committee members expressed outrage at the treatment of inmates.
DA MP Kabelo Kgobisa-Ngcaba linked the high number of suicides to a shortage of psychologists at DCS while Actionsa MP Dereleen James condemned inhumane treatment, citing the incident where an injured inmate was dragged to the hospital with a blanket, warning of its potential impact on mental health.
The committee’s probe into the incident uncovered disturbing findings.
On March 11, a planned drill allegedly turned into an assault on inmates, resulting in the death of an inmate Mpho Mkhumbeni from blunt force trauma.
“During these searches, offenders were allegedly assaulted and tortured,” Patrick Mashabathakga, then the temporary manager at the facility, told the committee.
G4S allegedly instructed officials to sign pre-drafted statements to align their accounts and advised staff to assault an inmate’s body rather than the face to conceal injuries.
“The committee heard that throughout the investigation into the incident, G4S and its employees sought to conceal the truth and obscure the investigation,” Azzakani said.
Ramolobeng said she had received multiple requests from G4S to be summoned before the committee but criticised the company’s reluctance to provide full reports.
“You do not deserve to be summoned. Which information do you want to protect that is already public knowledge?” she said.
The committee said G4S’s delayed submission of reports — only handed over last Thursday — reinforced its call to cut ties with the service provider.
“The committee has oversight over the DCS. We therefore called the department to brief us. Whoever the DCS invites to be part of the briefing is not up to us. We want answers from DCS,” Ramolobeng said.
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