Correctional Services corruption purge: Here’s the number of dismissals over 3 years
· Citizen
The Department of Correctional Services has dismissed 44 officials for corruption-related offences in the past three financial years.
This was revealed by Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald in a parliamentary response to MK party MP Zibuse Khayelihle Abednego Cele.
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Seven of these officials were dismissed in the 2023-24 financial year, while 37 lost their jobs in the 2025-26 financial year. No official was dismissed for corruption in the 2024-25 financial year.
Provinces
Gauteng leads with the highest number of dismissed officials, at 11, followed by the Western Cape with nine and KwaZulu-Natal with six.
The Eastern Cape recorded one official; Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and North West recorded six; while the Free State and Northern Cape recorded 11.
The department has been conducting unannounced searches at correctional facilities nationwide to enforce discipline among inmates and officials alike.
On Thursday, National Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale conducted a search at St. Albans Correctional Centre in the Eastern Cape.
“It has been a concern from the public and also from us, as management of Correctional Services, that our members might be playing a role in bringing contraband into our facilities. We have been on record saying that there are members who do bring contraband through,” said Thobakgale.
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“When we catch them, we do take them through processes to discipline them. Some of them lose their jobs. But there are also members who are good, who do their work. They come in on time, knock off at the right time, and do their work. And they don’t participate in criminal activities.
“So today, we made a decision that we are going to be with them as they come in. Before the parade, we are going to search for them. Those who are doing wrong things, we will get them.”
Correctional services staff shortage
In addition to corrupt officials being hunted and dismissed, the department is also dealing with a staff shortage.
In a separate parliamentary response, Groenewald said the department has begun large-scale recruitment drives, including plans to recruit and train entry-level correctional officials through the Correctional Services Learnership Programme from 2025 right through 2030.
So far, a total of 2 543 students have been enrolled in the 2025-26 financial year as part of ongoing efforts to develop a pipeline of 12 500 entry-level correctional officers by 2030.
The Correctional Services Learnership Programme is the primary source of new correctional officials. Upon successful completion, students are swiftly absorbed into funded security and rehabilitation roles to reduce the vacancy rate.
Staff shortages within the department pose security risks and lead to service delivery failures. These include compromised safety and security, resulting in the breakdown of custodial control, delay in emergency response, contraband and inmate violence.
“It should be noted that staff shortages have a direct impact on safety and security as well as service delivery, especially in a system already under extreme pressure due to overcrowding, making conditions unsafe for both inmates and officials,” said Groenewald.
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