National Commissioner for Correctional Services Makgothi Thobakgale led an unannounced operation at Zonderwater Correctional Centre in Pretoria on Thursday night and uncovered several surprises.
The operation aimed to remove contraband and other prohibited items from the facility.
The initiative is part of the department’s ongoing efforts to strengthen safety and security in correctional centres, particularly during the festive season, ensuring orderly, safe, and secure environments for officials, inmates and the broader community.
Officials uncovered contraband items such as cellphones, cash, syringes and a tuckshop operating inside a cell.
“It is unacceptable that some offenders engage in illegal activities that undermine security. We will take firm and decisive action against those involved,” said Thobakgale.
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On Wednesday, officials also conducted a search operation at Witbank Correctional Facility.
The operation focused on two cells, the old centre kitchen cell and the new centre kitchen and involved 52 offenders.
During the operation, the following unauthorised items were confiscated:
- 18 cellphones
- 12 cellphone chargers
- 2 cellphone batteries
- 1 USB device
- 1 sharpened object
- 4 SIM cards
- Dagga (10g)
- Cash amounting to R520
- 8 cartons of cigarettes
- 2 perfume bottles
- 6 earphones
- 2 scissors
Correctional facilities raids
Thobakgale said that as South Africans celebrate the festive season, correctional facilities are implementing their safety campaign, known as Operation Vala.
“It is a time where we issue out instructions about ensuring that our correctional facilities, our community corrections offices and operations observe stricter safety and security measures,” said Thobakgale.
“It is also the time that some of our employees take off to enjoy holidays, whilst others continue to ensure that our centres and community corrections offices are safe, and the highest standards of safety and security are upheld.
“During this period, we ensure that the offenders and our inmates receive the necessary support from their families and friends through visits.
“We ensure that, inasmuch as there are no movements externally to courts, we still attend to their health and well-being, and we still ensure that they are able to spend their time in correctional facilities, focusing on continuing to rehabilitate and correct as we continue to do our work.”
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