Gauteng Prisons Overcrowded With Undocumented Foreigners

• The Gauteng Department of Correctional Services reportedly complained that prisons in the province are overcrowded
• Prisons, including Kgosi Mampuru, Emthonjeni Centre, Modderbee and the Leeuwkop, have been burdened with overcrowding caused by foreign nationals
• South Africans called on the government to deport the undocumented foreign nationals to save the prisons from overcrowding

With nine years of experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist, provided insights into infrastructure challenges in South Africa at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

GAUTENG — Gauteng's prisons are experiencing overcrowding because of undocumented foreign nationals.

Overcrowding in GP prisons

According to The Citizen, the Modderbee centre has 5366 prisoners and 2912 foreign nationals. Leeuwkop has 2913 offenders, 359 of whom are foreign nationals. Kgosi Mampuru has 2221 foreign nationals out of 7463 prisoners. Emthonjeni has 400 foreign nationals, most of whom are from Mozambique.

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The Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services, which conducted oversight visits to the prison, gave the Department of Correctional Services three months to remedy the challenges the Modderbee Correctional Centre faces, including the infrastructure and management issues.

South Africans make recommendations

South Africans discussing the overcrowding on Facebook shared suggestions the DCS could implement.

Katambala Chirwa said:

"But the minister said it's a one-way deportation now."

Prince Mbewe said:

"Take them home to serve in their countries."

Elimuva VA Asahc said:

"Deportation will empty some cells."

Doctor Perfect replied:

"But they will come back."

Rabelani Rathogwa sarcastically said:

"It's better for them to be in prison where they will eat for free than being outside to starve."

Denise Veller said:

"The countries those foreign nationals are from must pay. Why should the South African people pay?"

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David Mahlangu said:

"While real criminals are giving us sleepless nights."

Wimpie Truter said:

"Deport these huge numbers of foreigners and let them sit behind bars in their own countries."

SAPS arrests 15 undocumented foreign nationals

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the South African Police Service in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, arrested 15 undocumented foreign nationals during a raid.

The raid was part of an effort by the provincial government to clean up the province of criminal elements.

Source: Briefly News