WATCH | Correctional Services conduct surprise raid at New Prison in Pietermartizburg

New Prison

Pietermaritzburg — The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) conducted a surprise raid at the New Prison in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday evening, where various contraband was discovered and seized.

National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Makgothi Thobakgale, said the unannounced raid was part of a broader initiative aimed at minimising  crime and ensuring safety within South African correctional facilities, Central News reported.

Among the contraband discovered included phones, cash, and devices used to transport contraband between cells. These discoveries underscored the challenges correctional services face when it comes to the safety of staff and inmates.

According to Thobakgale, he identified multiple avenues which contraband can be infiltrated into prisons including court appearances, internal complicities and family visits.

Inmates who are found in possession of contraband face serious repercussions including identifying accomplices. Any staff implicated will face disciplinary procedures and offenders caught are reclassified as high0risk and transferred to facilities with stricter security measures.

Commissioner Thobakgale indicated that, based on intelligence received, additional unannounced searches will be conducted in other facilities within the region and across the country during the festive season. These proactive measures aim to deter contraband smuggling and reinforce safety protocols.

The issue of contraband in South African prisons has reached alarming levels. Recent reports reveal that in the past 12 months, authorities have confiscated nearly 934 kilograms of drugs, over 41,000 cellphones, 11,000 weapons, more than 250 litres of alcohol, and R200,000 in cash from correctional centres nationwide. 

According to eNCA, Thobakgale explained why New Prison was chosen for the raid and said efforts would continue to try and get rid of contraband smuggling in other prisons nationwide.

“We selected this facility as one of those facilities we would focus on during operations, which is meant to ensure our correctional facilities are safe and we get rid of items that are illegal. We chose this facility because we had been focusing more on other facilities, including Durban,” he said.

He said Pietermaritzburg has a lot of contrabands and officials try to conduct weekly searches but the raid was to identify inmates who continuously bring in illegal contrabands. Within the first hour, cellphones and cash was found as searches continued.

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Compiled by Matthew Petersen

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