PARLIAMENTARIANS heard that the two public-private partnerships (PPP) prisons would be subjected to the same condition experienced at other prisons when the Department of Correctional Services takes them over in a few years.
“Once there is a take-over, they will be subjected to the pool of challenges we face at the Department of Correctional Services,” acting national commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale said.
Thobakgale made the statement when briefing the portfolio committee on their readiness to take over the Mangaung and Makhado prisons.
The department entered into a public-private partnership to acquire additional accommodation for at least 25 years in the early 2000s.
“The PPP prisons were to be run as a model prison, perfect in every way as a partnership between the public and the private sector,” read a presentation to the committee.
The Mangaung prison was designed for 2 928 bed spaces and started operating from July 2001.
The Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre in Makhado is a prison for 3 024 bed spaces and started its operations in February 2002.
The contracts for the prisons in Mangaung and Makhado will expire in June 2026 and February 2027 respectively.
The department has since the inception of the two projects paid R7.7 billion for the Mangaung prison and R8.4bn for Kutama-Sinthumule prison.
“It is anticipated that after the period of 25 years the department shall have paid R21.2bn for both PPP projects,” read a presentation to the committee.
Thobakgale said the department did not have an intention to extend the public-private partnership beyond contractual time that has been set.
Asked if the prisons were now model prisons as envisaged, Thobakgale said both facilities had the same problems and experience in the nature of corrections.
He, however, said in terms of infrastructure, planning and design, they were a model for a new generation.
“In terms of operations, with regards to human resources application, they are a model.
“There are determined numbers of beds and if you talk overcrowding, you won’t find it in both.
“If you look at practices of correction, administration and record keeping, they are better,” Thobakgale said.
However, on the issues of prisoner complaints and support, he said, “you find these are areas that need improvement”.
Thobakgale said the two prisons were used to assist the department with high-profile offenders that committed heinous offences.
“They operate more like a maximum. Because of that fact, there would be issues raised around isolation segregation,” he added.
During their presentation, the department told the committee that they were on a path for the take-over of the facilities and that they have put systems in place and outlined their plans.
DA MP Janho Engelbrecht asked about the costs related to the take-over.
He expressed his doubts that the take-over would address the over-population at prisons.
“My guess is that after the Department of Correctional Services takes over, over-population will be experienced there. I can’t see a way away from that,” Engelbrecht said.
Thobakgale said the department has an upgrade project under way at Parys for the construction of 250 additional bed spaces.
There were also plans for prisons in Burgersdorp and Lichtenburg which were at advertisement stage for appointment of the construction contractor and project design respectively.
Several others were at design and planning stages.
“If we fast-tract planning and design, by the time we take over, we would have added 500 beds in other facilities. These numbers are a drop in the ocean given the in-flow we experience on a daily basis and long sentences handed down by the courts,” Thobakgale said.
He said they still needed to firm up the take-over related costs figures and hence there were teams working on various matters.
“As we proceed with the task, if there is a need to involve external expertise we will do so. I am confident we will come back to the committee to provide specifics,” Thobakgale added.
POLITICAL BUREAU