The Parliamentary Committee on Correctional Services has demanded that the Department of Correctional Services develop a financial recovery plan. This demand arose after the department projected an overspending of R749 million for the 2026/27 fiscal year.
After reviewing the department's first-quarter performance report on Tuesday, the committee noted that the main reason for the projected overspending is rising food costs, which are largely due to the overcrowding in correctional facilities.
The committee chairperson, Kgomotso Anthea Ramolobeng, emphasized that the increase in inmates will lead to higher departmental spending on food. She stated: 'The more inmates admitted to correctional facilities, the more the department will be forced to spend on food. Therefore, we want to receive a proper financial recovery plan outlining how the department intends to mitigate this overspending.'
Severe Overcrowding
The committee pointed out that the overcrowding problem remains particularly acute in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, and Western Cape provinces, as the number of new inmate admissions continues to exceed the number of releases.
Furthermore, the DCS recorded quarterly budget overruns across several programs. The 'Incarceration and Rehabilitation' program exceeded its quarterly budgets by 9%, while the 'Care' program showed an overrun of 18%, and 'Social Reintegration' by 12%.
Despite the department achieving 83% of its quarterly performance targets, the committee stated that this figure masks serious operational issues, including staff shortages and pressure on mental health and rehabilitation services. Ramolobeng noted: 'We observe discrepancies in vacancy rates between the two reporting systems. While the overall target achievement rate of 83% looks positive on paper, the serious operational gaps beneath it cannot be ignored.' She added that 'Safe detention, human dignity, and effective rehabilitation are constitutional imperatives, not optional goals.'
Vacancies
The committee also expressed concern about vacancies affecting decisions made by parole boards and noted that critical rehabilitation and mental health services are limited by a severe shortage of staff.
Moreover, concerns were raised regarding 44 cases of unnatural inmate deaths registered during the first quarter, and a call was made for increased accountability and the implementation of specific measures to prevent further deaths in correctional centers.