The portfolio committee on correctional services has raised concerns about staffing levels and conditions at Thohoyandou Correctional Centre following its first oversight visit of the year in Limpopo.
The committee began its 2026 oversight programme in the province on Tuesday, citing Limpopo’s limited number of correctional facilities as the reason for prioritising the region.
Chairperson Kgomotso Ramolobeng said the committee intends to visit all facilities in the province as part of its mandate to oversee the department of correctional services (DCS).
“One of the issues that stood out was the offender-to-official ratio,” Ramolobeng said. “In the maximum section of the facility, the committee found only three officials responsible for 86 inmates.”
The committee also inspected the mother-and-child unit at Thohoyandou Correctional Centre, which houses pregnant women and mothers with children under the age of two. While acknowledging efforts by the department, Ramolobeng said correctional facilities were not suitable environments for raising children.
“Any correctional facility is not a good place to keep and raise a child; compared to other facilities we have visited, the standard of the mother-and-child unit here still needs improvement.”
Ramolobeng pointed to Pollsmoor Correctional Facility in the Western Cape as a benchmark, noting that its mother-and-baby unit is separated from the main prison and includes a dedicated crèche, a facility that was not observed at Thohoyandou.
Healthcare provision for mothers and babies was also raised as a challenge, particularly in the context of overcrowding, staff shortages and budget constraints.
“In a correctional centre, healthcare services can never be sufficient when these challenges persist,” Ramolobeng said. “However, the department is doing what it can to provide care in line with the Correctional Services Act.”
The committee was informed that the most common offences committed by mothers housed in the unit include theft and immigration-related offences, with a number of inmates being foreigners.
Reflecting on the emotional impact of seeing infants in prison environments, Ramolobeng referred to legislative changes made by parliament to limit the length of time children can remain incarcerated with their mothers.
“Parliament amended the Correctional Services Act to reduce the age from five years to two years,” she said, underscoring the recognition that prisons are unsuitable spaces for child development.
She reassured families that DCS provides age-appropriate, nutritious meals and clothing for babies housed with their mothers and encouraged family members to maintain contact.
The committee said its oversight visit aims to assess conditions of detention, infrastructure, rehabilitation programmes and the treatment of vulnerable groups, including women and children, with findings expected to inform recommendations to parliament and the department.
TimesLIVE
Mmatumelo Lebjane
www.theherald.co.za
