Prisoners at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Tshwane are allegedly being charged R240 for access to a bunk bed, according to two former inmates who spent time at the facility this year. One of the men said he was given a cellphone and bank details shortly after arriving and instructed to arrange payment for a place to sleep. Those unable to pay were allegedly left sleeping on the concrete floor of overcrowded cells.
The former inmates said the alleged practice occurred in cells C1 and C2, where more than 30 men were reportedly held in cramped and poorly ventilated conditions. One man alleged that an inmate who presented himself as being in charge controlled access to beds. He further claimed that sexual pressure and coercion were also present inside the cells.
The Department of Correctional Services has confirmed that the allegations are being investigated. Spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said inmates are supposed to receive beds, mattresses, toiletries and other essentials at no cost. He described the claims as serious and said they had no place in correctional facilities.
Kgosi Mampuru Inmates Allegedly Charged R240 For Beds
One former inmate, who was arrested on May 18 in connection with an alleged R980,000 theft, said he was taken to Kgosi Mampuru II on May 20 while waiting for his bail application. He said he spent time in both C1 and C2 and described his two days at the facility as the worst experience of his life. The man, who asked not to be identified, denied the fraud allegations against him.
“I was told I must buy a bed,” he told IOL. “So I went to this guy in one of the cells and was given a cellphone and account details.” He said he was instructed to contact his wife and provide her with the payment information.
The alleged cost of a bunk was R240, which included a mattress. “My wife then paid and had to send the proof of payment to that number,” he said. The man said he spent his first night in C1 before being moved to C2 the following morning.
“It was real hell here,” he said. “The devil’s den.” He claimed that selecting a bed meant being assigned to it and said the conditions in C2 were particularly difficult.
Kgosi Mampuru Cell Claims Include Sexual Coercion
The former inmate alleged that sexual activity took place openly in C2 and that new arrivals faced pressure from other prisoners. He said the inmate who described himself as the “head honcho” targeted him after he refused to be sexually penetrated. He was later moved to another cell before being released on May 22.
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Another former inmate said he was held in C1 in January while facing a hijacking charge. He described the experience as extremely distressing and said he suffered a severe psychotic episode while in the cell. “It was the worst experience of my life,” he said.
The allegations about sexual coercion were put to the Department of Correctional Services. However, the department did not specifically address those claims in its response. It said the broader allegations required an investigation to determine whether the reported conduct had taken place.
Correctional Services Investigates Kgosi Mampuru Allegations
Nxumalo said the department’s procedures do not permit inmates to be charged for basic accommodation. “The allegations raised are serious and warrant that an investigation be conducted in order to establish if such is indeed a case,” he said. “Our standard operating procedures do not allow such a practice to happen in our facilities.”
“There are methods being followed when inmates are being admitted,” Nxumalo said. “They ought to be offered a bed, toiletries and all other essentials.” He added: “These are provided at no cost to the inmate.”
Nxumalo said the department was disturbed by the allegations. “It is thus disturbing to hear of such allegations as they have no place in our facilities,” he said. “An investigation will be conducted and a detailed response forwarded to your publication.”
Kgosi Mampuru Overcrowding Raises Further Concerns
Kgosi Mampuru II forms part of a network of six correctional centres, including a remand facility for people who have not been convicted.
The reported use of a cellphone inside C1 also raises concerns because mobile phones are prohibited items within correctional facilities. National commissioner Makgothi Thubakgale said earlier this year that contraband reached inmates through visitors and corrupt officials.
Thubakgale said the department had instituted 312 disciplinary cases against officials linked to contraband smuggling, with 266 finalised at the time of his February briefing.
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He said detection equipment was being introduced, although funding remained a limitation. The allegations at Kgosi Mampuru are now expected to be examined as part of the department’s investigation.
Nationally, correctional facilities are operating under significant overcrowding pressures. The latest departmental figures put the overcrowding rate at 58%, with about 169,000 inmates accommodated in a system designed for approximately 107,000 beds.
Gauteng Prisons Struggle With Overcrowding And Limited Beds
Remand detainees account for roughly 62,000 inmates, compared with about 43,000 in 2014. Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald has said the daily cost of holding each remand detainee is R463. Parliamentary figures based on headcounts conducted on February 26 showed that every region was operating above its approved capacity.
The same figures showed that 205 of the country’s 243 correctional facilities were overcrowded. In Gauteng, 20 of the province’s 26 facilities were operating above their approved capacity. The figures provide broader context to concerns about sleeping arrangements and conditions inside correctional facilities.
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The Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services reported to Parliament’s portfolio committee in September 2024 that independent centre visitors had dealt with 13,676 inmate complaints in one quarter. The complaints included cases of inmates sleeping on mattresses on floors because beds were unavailable. The report also recorded leaking toilets and roofs, broken taps and showers at Kgosi Mampuru II, as well as concerns about officials obstructing the inspectorate’s work.
MK Party MP Lungisani Shangase described prison overcrowding during a parliamentary debate as an assault on human dignity. He also pointed to the number of remand detainees being held for extended periods without conviction or court appearances. Comment has also been sought from the prisoners association.
