Key points in this article:
- Westville Teeters on Chaos: The PSA flags a dire security threat at Westville Prison in Durban, where a crippled kitchen—steam system down, pots broken, supplies stalled—sparks inmate unrest, edging the facility toward riots.
- Hunger Haunts the System: From Waterval Prison in Utrecht, reports of vanishing bread and shrinking stocks, tied to budget slashes and a two-month supplier payment freeze, expose a festering crisis across the DCS, the PSA contends.
- DCS Touts Nutritional Fix: Pushing back, the DCS showcases a revamped 12-day meal plan, crafted with experts to deliver balanced diets, projecting R200 million in savings for inmate-led projects, while denying shortages and claiming rapid equipment resolutions.
- Portfolio Committee Exposes Rot: The Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services, concluding its KZN oversight on 1 March 2025, uncovers systemic decay—Kokstad’s kitchen violates standards, Westville’s demands closure—driving urgent mandates for repairs, contingency feeding, and rigorous monitoring to halt a breakdown.
The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) is confronting heightened scrutiny as allegations of food shortages echo through its correctional facilities.
These accusations span multiple locations, from Westville Prison in Durban to Waterval Prison in Utrecht, revealing a concerning thread of operational distress across the system.
At Westville Correctional Facility in Durban, the Public Service Association (PSA) has issued a pressing warning about an unfolding security crisis, triggered by a breakdown in food services that threatens the facility’s stability.
“The PSA has received distressing reports from the Union’s members, detailing a severe operational failure that, if not addressed immediately, could lead to riots in the facility. At the heart of the crisis is the complete dysfunction of the facility’s kitchen, which has rendered the institution unable to prepare meals on-site. The steam system has failed, most electrical cooking pots are broken, and critical food-supply chains have been disrupted,” the PSA disclosed.
This collapse, according to the PSA, has resulted in substantial delays in meal preparation and distribution, with deliveries of essentials like bread becoming unpredictable and inconsistent.
“Frustrated inmates are now threatening correctional officers, raising serious concerns about the facility’s ability to maintain order and security. Despite repeated attempts by correctional officers and inmates to engage management on these pressing issues, their concerns have been ignored, and no urgent action has been taken. This blatant negligence and failure to provide necessities have fuelled tensions, pushing the facility to the brink of a full-scale crisis that could spiral out of control,” the PSA emphasised. The association asserts that the turmoil at Westville reflects deeper, systemic shortcomings within the DCS.
An official from Waterval Prison in Utrecht lent credence to these worries, confirming that the facility has exhausted staples such as bread, with other food stocks diminishing due to alleged budget cuts to prisoners’ food supplies mandated by the Department.
Moreover, the source revealed an internal memo recently shared with Waterval staff, noting an upcoming meeting with suppliers—not only those providing food but also those servicing the prison’s boiler, waterworks, and sewage plant—who reported a two-month payment drought stemming from a DCS head office suspension of all disbursements. “Something needs to be done, as this could lead to serious repercussions within the facility,” the official stressed.
Moreover, the PSA has levelled a scathing critique at the DCS, pinpointing “chronic underfunding, mismanagement, poor maintenance of facilities, and bureaucratic inefficiencies” as defining traits of South Africa’s correctional system.
“The PSA has repeatedly warned against the deteriorating conditions in correctional facilities across the country, but these concerns have been ignored. The failure to provide inmates with basic nutrition and humane living conditions is a serious violation of human rights and a failure of governance. If the DCS does not take immediate action, it will be responsible for the outbreak of violence and associated safety risks,” the PSA declared. It further denounced the leadership’s incompetence and mismanagement, deeming the crisis wholly avoidable.
“The PSA demands immediate and decisive intervention, including urgent repairs to the prison’s kitchen facilities to ensure that on-site meal preparation resumes without further delay. Food-supply chains must be stabilised immediately to prevent further shortages and ensure consistent delivery of essential food items,” the PSA insisted.
It further demanded emergency security measures to safeguard correctional officers from rising threats and called on the Minister of Correctional Services to devise enduring solutions to prevent parallel crises at other sites.
“The PSA will not allow the Union’s members and inmates suffer owing to administrative incompetence and neglect. Should the DCS fail to take swift corrective action, the PSA will escalate this matter to national leadership, legal authorities, and human rights organisations to hold those responsible accountable,” the PSA vowed.
It also warned that the government must cease ignoring the erosion of critical infrastructure in correctional facilities, stating, “Urgent decisive action is required to prevent a disaster that could have far-reaching consequences for the entire correctional system.”
In rebuttal, the DCS released a statement dismissing the allegations, spotlighting its recent amendments to the 12-day cycle meal plan aimed at bolstering inmates’ nutritional well-being.
Spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo affirmed that the Department is actively rolling out these changes.
“These changes were carefully designed to align with dietary guidelines and ensure that the diverse dietary needs of the inmate population are adequately met. It includes a balanced mix of proteins, carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables to support physical health and contribute to a positive rehabilitation environment,” Nxumalo explained.
He also underscored the DCS’s dedication to a nutritious meal plan, crafted with nutritional experts to meet health standards while preserving operational efficiency.
“The department firmly rejects any false reports suggesting food shortages or the unavailability of essential meal items. These claims are misleading and do not reflect the reality within our correctional facilities. We continue to uphold our mandate of providing humane and dignified care to all inmates, whilst ensuring their dietary needs are met,” Nxumalo asserted.
He further added that the revised plan is anticipated to generate savings exceeding R200 million annually, which will be channeled into self-sufficiency and sustainability projects, enabling inmates to produce their own food, manufacture furniture and uniforms, and participate in other trades.
Acknowledging potential pushback, Nxumalo reiterated the DCS’s commitment to these enhancements. “We urge all stakeholders to engage constructively, and support initiatives aimed at enhancing correctional services,” he stated.
Addressing the PSA’s allegations about Westville Correctional Facility’s kitchen in Durban—where the steam system has failed, most electrical cooking pots are broken, and food-supply chains are disrupted—Nxumalo maintained that the Department responds promptly to equipment issues, ensuring inmates are never left without meals. “
These allegations therefore have no substance. Service providers that did not deliver stock as per the contractual obligations were engaged,” he clarified. Yet, Nxumalo offered no comment on the DCS head office’s payment suspension affecting suppliers at Waterval Correctional Facility in Utrecht.
Amid this mounting controversy, the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services embarked on a week-long oversight program in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), beginning 28 February 2025, and wrapping up on 1 March 2025, to assess the regulatory framework, policies, and practices governing correctional facilities, with an intent to propose legislative adjustments to the Correctional Services Act where necessary.
Chairperson Kgomotso Ramolobeng articulated the mission by saying, “We are all at work to get clarity about what we are contracted to do as a committee and the Department of Correctional Services.”
During an inspection at Kokstad Medium Correctional Centre, the committee discovered that its kitchen, which also serves eBongweni Super Maximum Prison, operates under a non-compliant certificate issued in 2020. Ramolobeng demanded immediate action to ensure compliance with food safety standards and the prompt filling of funded vacant positions, stating, “We can’t continue to have people acting in critical operational positions indefinitely. Such critical posts must be filled with immediate effect and the department must give us timeframes; we can’t make acting a normality.”
Concluding its oversight at Durban Westville Correctional Centre, the committee received a report detailing the national department’s intervention timelines and strategies to address the facility’s challenges. Struck by the kitchen’s deplorable state, Ramolobeng proclaimed, “I have seen kitchens in a bad state in various correctional centres across the country. This is the worst one I have seen. It must be shut. It can’t be allowed to be operational as it is.”
She urged the centre to devise contingency measures for feeding inmates once the kitchen closes.
While recognising positive efforts like skills training programs and well-run schools boasting impressive academic results, she noted that these were overshadowed by widespread deficiencies. Encouraged by the centre’s detailed action plan with specific timelines, she affirmed, “We will devise ways of monitoring your adherence to these commitments to ensure that these centres adhere to their mandates.”
With KZN’s correctional facilities now under sharp focus, especially concerning inmate food provisions, what are your thoughts on this escalating situation? Share your perspectives in the comment section below.
