The Department of Correctional Services has confiscated a total of 20,933 cellphones that were smuggled into prisons across the country over the past seven months.
There were five officials from three provinces that were implicated in the smuggling of the cellphones.
This was revealed by Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola when responding to parliamentary questions from ANC MP Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen.
Newhoundt-Druchen asked the minister about steps his department has taken to curb the unlawful possession of mobile devices by prisoners beyond just confiscation of the devices.
Lamola said the total number of cellphones that were confiscated from April to October 2023 was 20,933.
Gauteng led the pack with 5,381 confiscations, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 4,433, Eastern Cape with 3,228, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West with 3,139, the Western Cape with 2,780 and Free State and Northern Cape 1,972.
Lamola stated that five officials were caught smuggling cellphones in KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Gauteng.
Four of the unauthorised cellphone cases were reported to the SAPS.
He explained that one official has since been dismissed in KwaZulu-Natal while an investigation was under way against two officials in the Western Cape.
In Gauteng, one official resigned pending a disciplinary hearing and another is still facing a hearing.
Lamola said the department has put in place several measures to ensure access to cellphones in prisons did not re-cur, including use of sniffer dogs.
He said there was intensive searching, including surprise searches, on a daily basis at correctional facilities and access control points.
“Searching is conducted on all vehicles, personnel, visitors and service providers. It is conducted as per Section 27 of Correctional Services Act 111 of 1998 and security operating Procedures.
“Searching of officials, stakeholders and inmates when entering and leaving the centres with hand-held metal detectors and walk-through metal detectors.”
Lamola also said the department has implemented policies of “bagless society” and “cellphone-free society”.
“These policies reflect that officials are not permitted to enter facilities with bags or packets other than their personal items and meals. Females utilise clear plastic bags.”
He added that the regions have embarked on security awareness sessions on the prevention of smuggling of contraband.
“Guidelines are in place on how confiscated cellphones must be disposed of to prevent re-circulation.
“Trained sniffer dogs are utilised for cellphone detection.
“Disciplinary measures and swift consequence management are applied to all officials, visitors, service providers and inmates involved in any form of smuggling of contraband including among others, cellular devices.”
Lamola said the department was also ensuring night and day patrols were intensified in the correctional centres and all posts.
Cape Times