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The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has seized cellphones, drugs, weapons and other prohibited items at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Facility in Pretoria.
This action was prompted by a social media video that surfaced, depicting inmates in the facility engaging in dancing and playing music, which raised concerns regarding security and contraband within the prison environment.
The department moved swiftly after the video emerged, prompting National Commissioner of Correctional Services Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale to order an urgent search operation in the unit where the offenders featured in the footage are accommodated.
The operation uncovered a range of unauthorised items, including five cellphones, three routers, one laptop, two bank cards, 11 chargers and three USB devices.
Officials also confiscated 16 packets of illicit cigarettes, five balls of dagga, 194 Mandrax tablets, two hacksaw blades and various sharp objects.
The department said the quantity and nature of the items recovered highlighted the seriousness of the security breaches it was determined to address.
“Offenders found in possession of contraband and those identified in the video will face internal disciplinary proceedings in accordance with the applicable prescripts,” the DCS said.
The department added that the offenders’ conduct would also be considered when assessing their profiles, with possible implications for their correctional placement, privileges and other relevant considerations, subject to established procedures.
Meanwhile, an investigation will be launched to establish how the electronic device used to record the video, together with other prohibited items, was smuggled into the correctional facility.
Possible involvement by Kgosi Mampuru II officials
The investigation will also examine possible involvement or negligence by correctional services officials, with the department warning that appropriate action would be taken should any wrongdoing be established.
The DCS said removing illegal and unauthorised items from correctional facilities remained a key priority under Commissioner Thobakgale’s leadership.
Through intensified searches and security operations, the National Commissioner has consistently called on management areas to ensure that correctional facilities remain secure and free from contraband and activities that compromise the department’s mandate.
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Reiterating the importance of discipline, Thobakgale warned that correctional facilities were not places where offenders could disregard established rules and security protocols without consequences.
The department maintained that discipline and security remained fundamental to the correctional system, stressing that no individual, whether an offender or an official, would be allowed to undermine its integrity.
