Correctional Providers Minister Pieter Groenewald has revealed that greater than 27 000 international nationals are at present incarcerated in South Africa’s correctional services, contributing considerably to power overcrowding throughout the system.
Addressing MPs throughout a Peace and Safety Cluster sitting, Groenewald mentioned the division is actively exploring the repatriation of those inmates to their nations of origin – however careworn that the method is much from easy.
Repatriation of international nationals on this scale would require modifications to present laws, in addition to cooperation with the Division of Worldwide Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), which he mentioned “can’t be completed in a single day”.
Overseas nationals aren’t the one issue
South Africa’s prisons, significantly remand detention centres, are working underneath immense pressure.
Some services are sitting at over 200% capability, with the variety of remand detainees climbing to just about 59 000.
The Minister warned that jail overcrowding poses a direct threat to the “human dignity, bodily well being and security” of inmates.
To ease stress, the division continues to make use of Part 63A of the Legal Process Act, which permits the top of a correctional centre to use for the discharge or adjustment of bail situations for sure detainees who can not afford bail and pose no additional threat.
Nevertheless, the ultimate resolution rests with the courts, not Correctional Providers.
Within the first quarter of 2025, 2 533 instances have been referred for potential launch underneath this provision – however solely 16% have been granted.
The success fee improved barely within the second quarter to 21%. MPs questioned whether or not the system is being utilized successfully sufficient to make a significant distinction.
Remand detainees value taxpayers R463 every per day
Opposition events, together with ActionSA and the ACDP, raised issues about the price burden on taxpayers.
Housing a remand detainee (an individual who’s being held in custody whereas awaiting trial) prices the state over R463 per day, amounting to tens of millions spent every month on inmates awaiting trial.
Groenewald agreed that the scenario in prisons is unsustainable, however reiterated that the division should work inside the constraints of the judicial system.
He mentioned Correctional Providers continues to fulfill quarterly with the judiciary, NPA and different JCPS stakeholders to search out sensible options, together with increasing services and enhancing referral processes.
“We’ll proceed to discover all choices to cut back overcrowding, together with repatriating international nationals,” Groenewald mentioned, “however the legislative course of is gradual, and we should stability justice with the realities going through our prisons.”
