Owners of the Mangaung Correctional Centre are given 21 days to reply to DCS findings following riots and operational take over by Correctional Services
Acting National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Ms Notsikelelo Jolingana, says government may have made a “bad decision with great intentions” when it approved a 25 year Public Private Partnership contract for the construction and running of Correctional Centres in South Africa.
Responding to questions of members of the Portfolio Committee in Cape Town today, Acting National Commissioner Jolingana said with hind sight the view of the department is that contract locks government to a 25 year contract that is difficult to pull out off despite challenges experienced. She said the intention was to build a model New Generation Correctional Centre that is designed to enhance rehabilitation of offenders with lessons broadly emulated in other public correctional centres in the country. It was designed to be a platform for testing among others the Unit Management model of correctional centres.
Commissioner Jolingana said the contract has two parts, one relating to the infrastructure (facility) which will be handed over to Correctional Services during 2014, as the services part that will continue for the duration of the contract. She said the department is considering various options going forward including co-management of the facility to avoid similar incidents to the riots of August 2013. She said the department’s take-over of operations helped stabilise the situation and that the report of its multi-issue investigation was concluded, unearthing some additional issues that were never raised by the company before.
The department met the company running the Mangaung Correctional Centre on 20 February 2014 and gave them 21 days within which to respond to the findings of the department’s investigation into the riots and allegations of torture and inappropriate administration of medication. When the department receives feedback from the company, the leadership will apply its mind and make decisions of the way-forward.
The Portfolio Committee was also briefed on a range of issues that include the effectiveness of the Electronic Monitoring system introduced as a pilot project by Minister Ndebele in 2013, the need to ensure the integrity of the parole system and institutions, optimising of offender labour and relations with the Judicial Inspectorate of Correctional Services.
Enquiries:
Manelisi Wolela
Cell: 076 062 2180
E-mail: Manelisi.wolela@yahoo.com
