By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
PlayStation consoles, cellphones, dagga, screwdrivers and knives were discovered during a surprise raid at the Johannesburg Correctional Centre, also known as Sun City, on Wednesday.
The operation was conducted by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) officials and SA police services at a section of the prison that housed medium-risk offenders.
Speaking to journalists during the raid, Department of Correctional Services head, Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale said correctional services officials must provide answers.
“There’s a unit manager who now needs to account for what we found here.”
“Firstly, we start with unit managers. In every unit, there is a unit manager who now needs to account for what we found here. The second thing is to tighten security especially around the movement (that is) movements to court, movements to hospitals and even movements inside the centre,” he said.
“Movements to court, movements to hospitals, movements even inside the centre. These movements are the ones that provide an opportunity for these contrabands to be exchanged.”
Thobakgale said Johannesburg Prison is extremely overcrowded, currently housing more than 10,000 inmates.
“Most of these offenders what they do, they hide contraband in objects where you will not think they will hide them. Others will hide them inside television sets, that is why we have taken them. We have to unscrew and see what is inside. They hide them (contraband) in containers of what they use to bath or as toiletries,” said Thobakgale.
“They hide them inside food containers. In instances where they are also able to make provisions, they hide them in mattresses so that is why you see we had to search even the mattresses and pillows.”
The surprise raid followed the surfacing of a video shared on TikTok by Zimbabwean national Bornface Banks, who boasted that inmates got to live for free without paying for rent, electricity, toiletries, food and education.
Meanwhile, in Mpumalanga, two officials based in Ermelo Correctional Facility were arrested for attempting to smuggle dagga and a mobile phone with accessories.
The two were caught during a surprise search as they reported for duty on Wednesday morning.
“This incident underscores our commitment to maintaining integrity and security within correctional facilities, as well as our ongoing efforts to combat illegal activities in the correctional system,” said Thobakgale.