Over 80 officials face charges amid rising unnatural deaths in prisons

At least 86 officials were charged in connection with the unnatural deaths of prisoners between 2022/23 and 2024/25.

Parliamentarians also heard on Tuesday that there was an alarming 30.09% increase in the number of unnatural deaths of offenders over the past three years.

Briefing the Correctional Services Portfolio Committee, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Incarcerations and Corrections Riaan Botha said there were 1718 deaths in prisons over the past three years.

The deaths were made up of 1144 natural deaths, 152 confirmed unnatural deaths, and 422 unconfirmed or under investigation deaths.

Botha said of the 152 confirmed unnatural deaths, 67 were suicides, 55 homicides, 22 unknown, and eight were attributed to substance abuse.

“Suicide was the leading cause of confirmed unnatural deaths in correctional facilities over the past three years and quarter one of 2025/26 due to lack of supervision in the units in terms of Standard Operating Procedures, an increase in overcrowding, shortage of staff, delay in handling complaints and requests of inmates, and mental issues, among others,” Botha said.

He confirmed there was an increase in unnatural deaths during the period under review.

“There is an increase that constitutes 30.09%. It is quite alarming. That is why we implement a multi-facet approach to deal with that.”

The number stood at 42 in 2022/23, increased to 48 the following year, and was then recorded at 55 in the last financial year.

In 2024/25, Gauteng reported 13 unnatural deaths, followed by Limpopo and Mpumalanga region with 12, Free State and Northern Cape region nine, KwaZulu-Natal eight, Western Cape six, and Eastern Cape seven.

There have been seven cases of unnatural deaths since April this year.

Botha said seven deaths were reported in privately-run prison facilities, with four being at Mangaung Centre and three at Kutama Centre over the past three years.

He told the MPs that 86 officials were charged for the unnatural deaths of offenders between 2022/23 and 2024/25.

“Forty-three of the 86 cases have been finalised, while 43 are still in process.”

The presentation showed that Kimberly prison recorded 32 officials charged over the prisoners’ unnatural deaths. Twelve of their cases were finalised, and 20 were pending.

There were 43 finalised disciplinary cases, with 19 officials being acquitted, nine suspended without pay, four were dismissed, four obtained written warnings, two verbal warnings, three cases were withdrawn, one resigned, and another received a final written warning.

Botha said the department was implementing a multi-faceted approach by providing mental health care and support to prisoners to reduce the risk of suicide and self-harm.

“This approach includes routine health screenings to identify inmates who may be at risk of health issues or suicidal behaviour,” said Botha.

He noted that overcrowding increases security risks, infringes on prisoners’ privacy, limits their access to services, reduces their opportunities to participate in rehabilitation programmes, and places immense pressure on the officials.

There are currently 163 179 prisoners in prisons that are meant to cater for 107 067, translating to an overcrowding level of 52%.

“The department provides needs-based social work, psychological and spiritual care services, and programmes to inmates to develop and promote their social functioning and mental well-being.

“Psychologists in the department will ensure that offenders are assisted to adjust to the correctional facility and learn new coping skills,” Botha said.

DA MP Kabelo Kgobisa-Ngcaba noted with concern that officials were slapped with sanctions of warnings for their involvement in unnatural deaths of prisoners.

“It should be more than a warning,” she said before asking if there was an investigation done to determine what was happening at Kimberly, where there was a high number of officials being disciplined.

EFF MP Carl Niehaus said that despite the country being driven by a human rights culture, the “disturbing” report did not show human rights values set out in the Constitution.

“We have become a society tolerant of what is unacceptable,” Niehaus said.

Cape Times