A raid focused on contraband confiscation revealed that smuggling remains a challenge at the Goodwood Correctional Facility.
The national commissioner of Correctional Services, Makgothi Thobakgale, joined boots on the ground at the facility early on Thursday morning.
Dozens of Emergency Support Team officers descended on the centre after a viral video on social media where the user, Bornface Banks, bragged about their comfortable lifestyle behind bars.
He has since been transferred to a maximum corrections facility after disciplinary steps were instituted against him.
Thobakgale confirmed that Banks, a remanded unsentenced detainee, faces charges of murder and kidnapping.
Thobakgale said their investigations were ongoing.
"We started the clean-up operation at this facility on Tuesday and we have identified the risks we are facing with regard to the proliferation of cellphones, especially at this facility," said Thobakgale.
DCS officers were wrapped over the knuckles during their morning parade where Thobakgale said they “must go back to basics”, which includes a focus on discipline and reporting illegal smuggling of contraband by inmates and officers who are implicated in aiding the smuggling of contraband.
“I can assure you, action is going to be taken especially because we have an offender here who has been taking videos over time. He was able to build (an online) following in the past six months which means our standard operating procedures have not been followed,” said Thobakgale.
More on this in the Cape Times tomorrow.
Cape Times