Calls for foreigners to serve sentence in own country

CHAIRPERSON of the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services, Kgomotso Anthea Ramolobeng, said that the committee remains concerned about the number of foreign nationals in the country’s prisons, and ideally wants them to serve out their sentences in their own countries.

- THEOLIN TEMBO

Ramolobeng was addressing the media and stakeholders at the Peace and Security Cluster Committee Chairpersons’ briefing on Monday, July 7.

Ramolobeng began her address by saying that the committee was pleased with the Department of Correctional Services reviewing the Correctional Services Act, 111 of 1998, as it will allow them to provide input on areas that they believe should be amended or strengthened, including Section 73 of the Act, which deals with the management of foreign national inmates in the country’s facilities.

“We heard during the budget debate that the minister indicated there were 24000 foreign national inmates in correctional centres across the country, which costs the state R11 million per day.

“The committee is seriously concerned that our correctional facilities have so many foreign nationals, but our country has not entered into an inmate exchange programme with any country.

“We intend to review this provision specifically as it relates to the incarceration of foreign nationals. We want to provide for foreign nationals serving life sentences to serve their sentences in their countries of origin due to the costs associated with housing foreign inmates in correctional facilities,” Ramolobeng said.