The Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services has expressed deepening concerns regarding the alarming budgetary excesses plaguing the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), as projections indicate an over-expenditure of R1.4 billion.

This situation has arisen amid increasing operational costs, which could severely hinder the department’s ability to fulfil its mandate effectively.

During a briefing on the DCS’s second and third quarter performance report for the 2024/25 financial year, committee members were informed that the year-to-date expenditure for the department stood at a considerable R21.6 billion, constituting 78% of the projected annual spending of R29.2 billion.

This figure starkly overshadows the adjusted budget of R27.8 billion, thus highlighting the pressing need for fiscal accountability within the correctional system.

The committee identified several contributing factors to this over-expenditure. Chief among them is a cost-of-living adjustment implemented in April 2024, which has compounded existing financial challenges.

Additionally, the department’s capital budget faces a worrying shortfall of R222 million, severely limiting essential infrastructure upgrades and maintenance needed to improve conditions within correctional facilities.

Rising food costs have further exacerbated the situation. This increase is attributed not only to inflation and a rising inmate population but also the increasing number of foreign nationals housed in South Africa’s correctional facilities.

The DCS is also grappling with soaring municipal tariffs for utilities such as electricity and water, which have skyrocketed beyond standard consumer price indices, ultimately straining the already overstretched Goods and Services budget.

Moreover, the challenge has been heightened by the transfer of maintenance responsibilities from the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to the DCS without a corresponding increase in funding, resulting in an alarming R154 million funding gap.

Meanwhile, the department’s efforts toward digital transformation and cybersecurity are stymied by a severely constrained budget for information technology.

Kgomotso Anthea Ramolobeng, Chairperson of the committee, voiced her apprehensions about the department’s financial trajectory.

“Of course, we raised concerns about this trend. It is worrying although the factors for such overspending have been placed before us. We urged the department to tighten its belt, like using for example offender labour wherever possible in order to cut cost and that will result in a transfer of skills,” she stated.

In light of these challenges, the DCS has initiated measures aimed at curtailing projected over-expenditure.

A dedicated committee has been established to monitor spending on a weekly basis, and the committee expressed hope that these interventions would yield tangible results.

“We noted these interventions and hope that the corrective measures will bear fruit. We will need a report detailing progress regarding those measures,” Ramolobeng said.

The DCS also reported a troubling statistic: 29 unnatural deaths have been recorded among its inmate population, which stands at 160,353.

Ramolobeng underscored the importance of accurate reporting, urging the DCS and the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services to establish a framework to resolve discrepancies in the reporting of these numbers.

“Both parties need to sit down and come up with a way forward of how to address this reporting deficit. We want the DCS to submit a report to us following that sit-down meeting,” she concluded.

IOL

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