The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) in KwaZulu-Natal says a spike in contraband seizures at correctional facilities over the festive season highlights the urgent need for better coordination and stronger security measures inside prisons.
According to statistics released by the Department of Correctional Services, more than 5,500 searches were conducted at centres nationwide between December and January. The operations resulted in the confiscation of thousands of cellphones, drugs and homemade weapons from inmates.
POPCRU provincial secretary Nthabeleng Molefe said the discoveries underscore mounting safety risks faced by correctional officers, warning that chronic staff shortages and overcrowding are weakening control within facilities.
“There is a severe shortage of staff, which affects monitoring and control,” Molefe said. “Overcrowding makes it easier for contraband to circulate, and outdated infrastructure and technology further complicate matters. Inadequate resources, such as proper scanning systems, also limit our ability to detect illegal items.”
She added that organised criminal networks both inside and outside prisons continue to exploit these gaps, compromising security.
Molefe said the presence of weapons behind bars poses a serious threat to officials.
“Such weapons can be used to intimidate, attack or even kill officers. The fight against contraband cannot be won without prioritising the safety, dignity and working conditions of correctional officials,” she said. “Protecting staff must never be optional — it must be constant.”
The union has called for improved staffing levels, upgraded security technology and closer cooperation between authorities to curb the flow of drugs and other illegal items into prisons.
With contraband finding its way past the gates far too often, officials say tougher, coordinated interventions are now less of a luxury and more of a necessity.