The South African Policing Union (Sapu) is calling for the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) to take over private prisons following the release of the Public Protector report on Thabo Bester's great escape from Mangaung prison. The report revealed that GS4, which managed Mangaung Prison where Bester was held, never reported the escape and as a result the Department of Correctional Services (DSC) could only investigate a homicide and not an escape. 

DELAYS IN INVESTIGATIONS 

The report explains that there was undue delay from the DCS in the investigation of Bester's escape. Sapu's Lesiba Thobakgale said the department should take full control of all private prisons in the country to avoid such incidents from happening in the future. "DCS has to take full control of all private prisons in South Africa and shouldn't be contracted because the institution itself has a controller from DCS. The controller is responsible for whatever happens inside that prison. There needs to be synergy between SAPS and DCS in terms of what takes place inside the prison because communication is key between all these stakeholders to ensure the smooth running of correctional centres." He said the DCS is more than capable of running private prisons and at the same time, private security may as well be absorbed as prison wardens.

DCS WAS CARELESS

The recent report by Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka has revealed that officials from the DCS acted out of character with regards to the escape of Bester from Mangaung Correctional Centre. The report specifically implicates DCS' MCC controller, Chris Mahonono, and director of contract management, Roseline Phahlane, for undue delay in reporting Bester's escape to the SAPS.

Mahonono told the PP's office that DCS could not open a case of escape because at the time the investigation team was probing an unnatural death and that it was not going to be easy for them to investigate the escape because G4S never reported the escape to the DCS. Gcaleka has since instructed the Minister of Correctional Services, Pieter Groenewald, to not turn a blind eye to the findings of improper conduct by DCS officials regarding the case. She ordered the department to develop an escape prevention strategy within 90 days, to establish guidelines for handling anonymous anti-corruption reports within 120 days and to take disciplinary action already taken against implicated officials.