South Africa: Portfolio Committee On Correctional Service Calls for Immediate Termination of G4s Contract for Mangaung Centre

The Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services yesterday called for the immediate termination of the contract with the service provider that manages the Mangaung Correctional Centre, G4S, stating it refused to take accountability for all the wrongdoing in the privately run centre.

Committee Chairperson Ms Kgomotso Anthea Ramolobeng stated that the public-private partnership between the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) and G4S should be terminated, as the latter is “acting as a law unto themselves”. The committee heard that G4S only provided a report last week on the unnatural death of an inmate that occurred in March.

The committee also expressed its shock at the levels of dishonesty on the part of officials who attempt to cover up unnatural deaths in correctional centres. She made the comments after a briefing from the DCS on unnatural deaths of inmates in its facilities, with specific reference to Mangaung, Goodwood and Oudtshoorn correctional centres.

The committee heard various accounts of how information was distorted and amended to explain away culpability in both the Mangaung incident and another at the Goodwood correctional centre. The matter in Oudtshoorn is still under investigation.

Regarding the Mangaung incident, the committee heard that following the escape of offender Thabo Bester in 2022, the National Commissioner invoked section 112 of the Correctional Services Act and, on 29 March 2023, appointed Mr Patrick Mashabathakga as temporary manager and head of centre from 30 March 2023.

Mr Mashabathakga told the committee that since his appointment he has been undermined by some G4S officials. On 11 March 2025, a planned callout drill was followed by searches carried out without his knowledge. During these searches, offenders were allegedly assaulted and tortured. Offender Mpho Mkhumbeni sustained severe injuries, including blunt force trauma from tonfas and complications from pepper spray exposure. A day later, Mr Mkhumbeni collapsed in his cell and the doctor declared him dead after a brief examination. The doctor then ordered a postmortem, as the death was inconsistent with his medical history, which revealed blunt force trauma, substantiating the allegations of assault. Mr Mkhumbeni was a known asthma patient, who had previously been treated for acute bronchospasms but had not been referred to a public hospital since admission.

The committee heard the contractor presented pre-drafted statements to officials to sign off to ensure their versions aligned. Officials were allegedly also advised to assault the inmate on his body and not the face in order to hide the marks. In addition, the committee heard that throughout the investigation into the incident, G4S and its employees sought to conceal the truth and obscure the investigation. This is viewed in serious light as it is tantamount to defeating the ends of justice.

Earlier in the day, the committee heard that over the last three years there were 1,718 deaths in correctional facilities. The deaths were made up of 1,144 natural deaths, 152 confirmed unnatural deaths, and 422 unconfirmed or under investigation deaths.

The committee was further informed that of the 152 confirmed unnatural deaths, 67 were suicides, 55 were homicides, 22 were cause unknown, and eight were substance abuse-related deaths. Suicide was the leading cause of confirmed unnatural deaths in correctional facilities over the past three years and in quarter one of 2025/26 due. Reasons provided include a lack of supervision in the units in terms of standard operating procedures, an increase in overcrowding, staff shortage, delays in handling inmate complaints and requests, and mental-health issues.

Regarding the incident on 16 February 2025 at Goodwood Correctional Centre, the meeting heard that inmate Quinton Fortuin attacked officials with a sharpened object during counting. Officials then requested backup over a two-way radio. The force used by the officials involved was not commensurate to the threat posed by the inmate, especially after he was disarmed and lying on the floor. The committee heard that officials from the centre controlled and restrained the inmate, who was afterwards assaulted.

The inmate was later declared dead due to unnatural causes that same day at Karl Bremer Hospital. The committee heard that two officials acted with dishonesty by backdating the application on the use of force from 17 February 2025 to 16 February 2025. The committee further heard that the inmate was dragged a long way from the unit to the hospital using a blanket.

Committee member Ms Dereleen James expressed her shock at the number of suicides and further stated that the cause of such deaths should be investigated. She further said the fact that an injured inmate was pulled with a blanket to get him to the hospital unit in the centre is an indication of the inhumane treatment meted out to inmates and could also affect their mental health.

Another committee member, Mr Carl Niehaus, said the level of violence and force used in the Goodwood matter is totally unacceptable and consequence management should be implemented. Committee member Ms Kabelo Kgobisa-Ngcaba said the number of suicides in facilities could possibly be attributed to the shortage of psychologists in DCS, as was indicated by the department during a presentation in June this year.

Ms Ramolobeng said she received several requests from G4S asking to be summoned before the committee. “You do not deserve to be summoned. Which information to you want to protect that is already public knowledge?” she asked. “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.”

The Chairperson also noted G4S’s refusal to provide reports about the March incident to DCS and only complied on 4 September, which amounts to refusing to take responsibility.

By Parliament of South Africa.