Leaking Pipes at Johannesburg Prison Trigger R1.2 Billion Crisis and Severe Safety Threats
Press Statement by Dereleen James MP
ActionSA Member of Parliament
ActionSA expresses outrage after an oversight visit and a follow-up question to the Minister of Correctional Services revealed that severe neglect of plumbing maintenance at Johannesburg Prison has resulted in an estimated R1.2 billion repair bill for taxpayers.
During our oversight visit on 10 October 2024, we witnessed the shocking and hazardous condition of the prison’s basement kitchen—a critical area for preparing food for staff and inmates—that was completely flooded due to collapsing plumbing, posing a serious health and safety risk to everyone in the facility.
The situation is dire enough to threaten the structural integrity of the prison itself. In response to our findings during our visit, we immediately submitted a question to the Minister of Correctional Services, only to uncover an even more disturbing reality.
Of the proposed R1.2 billion needed for repairs, an outrageous R75 million is dubiously earmarked as ‘fees.’ This is nothing short of scandalous — fees for what exactly? Even more concerning is the fact that there is currently no timeline for resolving this crisis beyond periodic “pumping out” of the flooded basement, which is a band-aid solution that leaves both staff and inmates at continuous risk.
While South Africa itself is in the midst of severe austerity measures, the government’s failure to perform routine basic maintenance has spiralled into a crisis of epic proportions. This situation exemplifies the gross mismanagement and negligence that lead to exponentially higher repair costs and dangerous conditions.
ActionSA will be urgently writing to the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure to demand immediate action to safeguard the wellbeing of prison staff and the infrastructure they oversee.
We also extend an invitation to both the Minister of Correctional Services and the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure to join ActionSA in a visit to the prison.
Leaking Pipes at Johannesburg Prison Trigger R1.2 Billion Crisis and Severe Safety Threats
ActionSA expresses outrage after an oversight visit and a follow-up question to the Minister of Correctional Services revealed that severe neglect of plumbing maintenance at Johannesburg Prison has resulted in an estimated R1.2 billion repair bill for taxpayers.
During our oversight visit on 10 October 2024, we witnessed the shocking and hazardous condition of the prison’s basement kitchen—a critical area for preparing food for staff and inmates—that was completely flooded due to collapsing plumbing, posing a serious health and safety risk to everyone in the facility.
The situation is dire enough to threaten the structural integrity of the prison itself. In response to our findings during our visit, we immediately submitted a question to the Minister of Correctional Services, only to uncover an even more disturbing reality.
Of the proposed R1.2 billion needed for repairs, an outrageous R75 million is dubiously earmarked as ‘fees.’ This is nothing short of scandalous — fees for what exactly? Even more concerning is the fact that there is currently no timeline for resolving this crisis beyond periodic “pumping out” of the flooded basement, which is a band-aid solution that leaves both staff and inmates at continuous risk.
While South Africa itself is in the midst of severe austerity measures, the government’s failure to perform routine basic maintenance has spiralled into a crisis of epic proportions. This situation exemplifies the gross mismanagement and negligence that lead to exponentially higher repair costs and dangerous conditions.
ActionSA will be urgently writing to the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure to demand immediate action to safeguard the wellbeing of prison staff and the infrastructure they oversee.
We also extend an invitation to both the Minister of Correctional Services and the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure to join ActionSA in a visit to the prison.