86 officials charged amid prison deaths

AT LEAST 86 officials were charged in connection with the unnatural deaths of prisoners over the past few years.

- MAYIBONGWE MAQHINA

Parliamentarians also heard yesterday that there was an alarming 30.09% increase in the number of unnatural deaths of offenders between 2022/23 and 2024/25.

Briefing the Correctional Services Portfolio Committee, acting deputy commissioner for Incarcerations and Corrections Riaan Botha said there were 1718 deaths in prisons over the past three years.

The deaths were made up of 1 144 natural deaths, 152 were confirmed unnatural deaths, and 422 were unconfirmed or under investigation deaths.

Botha said of the 152 confirmed unnatural deaths, 67 were suicides, 55 homicides, 22 unknown, and eight were attributed to substance abuse.

“Suicide was the leading cause of confirmed unnatural deaths in correctional facilities over the past three years and quarter one of 2025/26 due to lack of supervision in the units in terms of Standard Operating Procedures, an increase in overcrowding, shortage of staff, delay in handling complaints and requests of inmates, and mental issues, among others,” Botha said.

He confirmed there was an increase in unnatural deaths during the period under review.