South Africa's prison population reaches 166 924: The impact of budget constraints
The total population of inmates increased to 166,924 as of December 31, 2024, throughout South Africa.
Image: Bheki Radebe
Within three months, 6 571 more inmates occupied prisons throughout South Africa, bringing the total population of inmates to 166 924 as of December 31, 2024.
The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) presented the 3rd Quarter Performance Report for the 2024/25 financial year to the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services on Tuesday, noting that the prison population increased from 160 353 on September 30, 2024.
In the DCS report, reference was made to the capital budget being underfunded by R222 million, constraining infrastructure upgrades and maintenance.
The DCS stated that food costs have surged, driven not only by inflation and a growing inmate population, but also by the rising number of foreign nationals housed in correctional facilities, which are experiencing the highest concentration of this challenge.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Ad Loading
Approximately 27% of offenders in Gauteng are foreign nationals.
Polokwane and Thohoyandou in Limpopo, Barberton in Mpumalanga, and Klerksdorp, North West, correctional centres admitted more remand detainees, mostly foreign nationals, due to SAPS operations Vala Umgodi and Shanela, where they were charged for illegal mining and illegal immigration.
The DCS stated that due to municipal tariffs for electricity, water, and sanitation escalating above the Consumer Price Index, it is creating further strain on the already stretched goods and services budget.
The department stated that the branch budget is also severely constrained, hampering efforts to modernise digital infrastructure and cybersecurity.
The DCS did not meet its target in Information Technology (IT) because of a number of sites where a mesh network and an integrated security system (ISS) are installed.
The reason provided was attributed to a delay in the testing of the Audio Visual Remand (AVR) due to the unavailability of the confirmed court dates by the Department of Justice.
The DCS also stated that funds allocated for the Local Area Network (LAN) infrastructure project were insufficient due to a budget shortfall for the Microsoft licenses.
It highlighted that overcrowding in correctional facilities is in excess of approved bed space capacity.
'The admission of remand detainees and sentenced offenders exceeds the outflow of cases from the system,' the DCS stated.
The unsentenced inmate population increased by 5 934, while the sentenced offender population increased by 637.
With regard to overcrowding in Gauteng, the DCS stated that the Leeuwkop Medium B is unable to utilise four cells with a capacity of 160 because of two burnt cells and two that are adjacent to the burnt cells.
At the same facility, the DCS cannot use the Delta units with a bed space of 340 due to a lack of resources; further details are not provided.
The DCS was allocated a budget of R27.8 billion, with 60% going towards incarceration, amounting to R16.7bn.
Cape Argus
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
16 hours ago
- IOL News
Cape Town father challenges R172,000 maintenance order, citing financial strain despite over R1 million bonus
A Cape Town father who receives over R1 million in bonuses challenged a ruling which ordered him to pay over R172,000 maintenance. Image: Pexels A Cape Town father who reportedly receives over R1 million in annual bonuses, has challenged the mother of his children and refused to produce his proof of income. The parents, who divorced in August 2010, have been at odds over financial responsibilities, as the mother continues to care for their children, aged 15 and 19. In February 2025, the maintenance court ordered the father to pay R172,188.63, which, amongst other things, will go towards the tuition cost of their older child. The money had to be paid before the end of March 2025. He was further ordered to pay over R20,000 towards the annual school fees of their second child. The total amount he had to pay was over R222,000. However, following the court's ruling, the father swiftly filed an urgent application in the Western Cape High Court to suspend the maintenance order. He argued that the amount was nearly double his net salary, asserting his financial inability to honour such payments. The high court granted a temporary suspension of the order, while simultaneously requiring the mother to demonstrate why this suspension should not become permanent pending the appeal hearing. The mother took further legal action, serving both the father and his employer with a subpoena duces tecum. A subpoena duces tecum is a court order requiring a person to appear in court and produce specific documents or other physical evidence relevant to a legal case. According to the mother, the father misled the court in his application to suspend the maintenance order. She argued that the maintenance court granted the order in line with what was provided by the father in terms of his monthly salary as well as his annual bonus which amounts to over R1 million. She further argued that the father did not provide proof to support his claim that he cannot afford to pay maintenance. He also didn't provide any evidence to support that his financial position had changed for the worse since the order was made. Furthermore, she said the father lied in his affidavit as his IRP5 showed that he had received more than R1 million in March 2025. With this information, she sought to have the interim order suspending the maintenance order to be dismissed. Furthermore, the mother highlighted discrepancies in the father's affidavit, alleging that his IRP5 tax document, which revealed earnings exceeding R1 million as of March 2025, illustrates his capacity to pay the mandated maintenance while still maintaining a comfortable lifestyle. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading In response, the father approached the high court again, seeking to have the subpoena set aside. He claimed the documents requested by the mother were irrelevant and warned that such disclosures would cause irreparable harm. Presiding over the matter, Judge James Lekhuleni said the previous maintenance court order revealed that the mother battled to coerce the father to honour his maintenance obligations. He only provided financial support to the children when it suited him. He commented on the mother's diligent efforts, recognising that she was an unrepresented litigant trying to safeguard her children's welfare. The judge made it clear that the mother's attempts to compel the father to meet his obligations should not be viewed as an abuse of the legal system. Moreover, judge Lekhuleni emphasised that denying the subpoena would unduly harm the mother and the children, while the father would not suffer significant prejudice from its continuation. "As I see it, there is no prejudice that the applicant (father) will suffer if the subpoena is not set aside. While on the other hand, setting aside the subpoena will have deleterious effects on the first respondent (mother) and the children," he said. The father's application was dismissed. IOL News Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
‘Imbizo ya Madoda' programme
SHARPEVILLE.- The Sharpeville police together with various stakeholders held an 'Imbizo ya Madoda' in Tshepiso Phase 3, Sharpeville recently. The stakeholders included the ward councillor, the Department of Correctional Services members, the Community Safety Department members, Spiritual Crime Prevention members, MASP, and the Community Policing Forum (CPF) members. The Imbizo was held under the theme: #RestoringDignityOfAmadoda. Sharpeville police spokesperson, Constable Busisiwe Sango said that the purpose of the campaign was to celebrate Father's Day with men who are not honoured and recognised as fathers in their households. 'We also aimed to have discussions around issues of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Femicide, Alcohol abuse, and the importance of spirituality of a man as a head of the family.' At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
Accused taxi hitman's reign of terror detailed in court
Vuyolwethu 'Yesu' Tshukela appeared in the Athlone Magistrate's Court for murder, attempted murder, and extortion in taxi-related incidents. Image: Armand Hough / Independent Media One of the Western Cape's most wanted suspects, Vuyolwethu Tshukela, also known by the alias 'Yesu', made his first appearance in the Athlone Magistrate's Court on Tuesday following his arrest in the Free State on Friday. Tshukela, 38, who had been sought in connection with a series of violent taxi-related crimes in Cape Town, was apprehended in Welkom after months on the run. He now faces a raft of serious charges, including murder, attempted murder, arson, and extortion. Police confirmed that a R100,000 reward had been offered for information leading to his arrest and successful conviction, which came after a months-long manhunt. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ According to Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm Pojie, Tshukela had been positively linked to at least four taxi-related murders committed in Philippi East, Nyanga, and Delft between August and September 2024. 'Western Cape police had issued media releases appealing for information on the whereabouts of Mthatha-born Vuyolwethu Tshukela, aka 'Yesu',' said police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa. 'He was subsequently apprehended in Welkom and is currently facing charges linked to murder and extortion cases as well as an arson investigation that were all committed in the Nyanga area and relate to the taxi industry.' Vuyolwethi 'Yesu' Tshukela remains behind bars after appearing in court for murder, attempted murder, and extortion. Image: Armand Hough / Independent Media However, in court on Tuesday, Tshukela was formally charged with only one count of murder, one count of attempted murder, and two counts of extortion. During his brief court appearance, the State outlined a disturbing pattern of violence allegedly linked to protection rackets in the taxi industry. The court heard that on August 18, 2024, during a meeting of taxi drivers at a rank, Tshukela allegedly approached the group and fatally shot one of the drivers in front of multiple eyewitnesses. About 16 taxis were set alight at the Nyanga taxi rank in February. Image: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Media According to the State, the deceased had previously refused to pay extortion money. The State also detailed a separate incident on September 17, 2024, where Tshukela allegedly demanded payments from drivers and threatened that those who did not comply would be shot. While some made payments, the complainant in the matter reportedly refused. On the charge of attempted murder, the State alleges that on February 9, 2025, a group of four people – including Tshukela – set fire to containers and taxis at the Nyanga taxi rank. When taxi patrollers gave chase, the group fled into a nearby street, where Tshukela allegedly opened fire on them. The patrollers escaped and ran to the police station, later positively identifying Tshukela as one of the shooters. The State prosecutor told the court that the matter falls under Schedule 6 offences, which means the accused must show exceptional circumstances to be granted bail. The State indicated it would oppose any bail application. 'This is a Schedule 6 matter,' said the prosecutor. 'The accused is before the court for a charge of murder, two charges of extortion, and one charge of attempted murder.' The court postponed the case to June 24 so that Tshukela's private lawyer could be present and further bail-related information could be recorded. Meanwhile, police say additional charges may be added as investigations continue. 'As investigations unfold, the suspect could face additional charges,' said Brigadier Potelwa.
