Heads within Correctional Services expected to roll following massive 'Sun City' prison raid
Wednesday night's operation, where inmates were found in possession of drugs, weapons and electronics, was conducted by the Department of Correctional Services officials and police at a section of the prison that housed medium-risk offenders.
A multidisciplinary operation conducted by DCS and SAPS took place at Johannesburg Prison on 24 July 2024 where inmates were searched for weapons, drugs and cellphones. Picture: Abigail Javier/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - Heads are expected to roll following a massive raid at Johannesburg Prison popularly known as "Sun City" where inmates were found in possession of drugs, weapons, cellphones and even television sets.
Wednesday night's operation was conducted by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) officials and police at a section of the prison that housed medium-risk offenders.
In a bid to root out the smuggling of illegal contraband into prisons, the DCS said they would go after their own first.
This comes after inmates were found in possession of hundreds of illegal items, including cellphones, contraband, weapons and even TVs during the raid.
Correctional Services National Commissioner Samuel Thobakgale said people will need to answer for what was found.
“There’s a unit manager who now needs to account for what we found here.”
He said security would be tightened around the movement of inmates in and out of the facility.
“Movements to court, movements to hospitals, movements even inside the centre. These movements are the ones that provide an opportunity for these contrabands to be exchanged.”
Thobakgale said Johannesburg Prison is extremely overcrowded, currently housing more than 10,000 inmates.