Question NW1082 to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

Reply:

a) The total number of cellphones that were confiscated in the 2022-23 financial year are as follows:

Name of Region	Total Number of cell phones confiscated
KwaZulu-Natal	7 628
Eastern Cape	4 501
Western Cape	6 161
Free State & Northern Cape	3 548
Limpopo, Mpumalanga & North West	5 167
Gauteng	10 238
Grand Total	37 243

b) The following measures have been in place to ensure that access to cell phones does not reoccur:

• Intensified searching (including surprise searches) is conducted on daily bases at Correctional Facilities and access control points. Searching is conducted on vehicles, personnel, visitors and service providers. It is conducted as per section 27 of CSA 111 of 1998 and Security Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

• The DCS has implemented policies on “Bagless Society” and Cell-phone free Society”. These policies reflect that officials are not permitted to enter facilities with bags or packets other than their personal items and meals. Females to utilise clear plastic bags.

• Regions have embarked on security awareness sessions on the prevention of smuggling of contrabands.

• Guidelines are in place on how confiscated cell-phones must be disposed of to prevent re-circulation.

• Trained sniffer dogs are utilised for cell phone detection.

• Disciplinary measures and swift consequence management are applied to all officials, visitors, service providers and inmates involved in any form of smuggling of contraband including amongst others, cellular devices.

(c)(i) The total number of correctional officials that were found to have been involved in such cases are as follows:

Name of Region	Number of Officials were caught smuggling cell phones
KwaZulu-Natal	09
Eastern Cape	0
Western Cape	04
Free State & Northern Cape	03
Limpopo, Mpumalanga & North West	01
Gauteng	07
National Total	24

c)(ii) Actions that have been taken against the specified correctional officials are as follows:

Name of Region	Disciplinary steps taken
KwaZulu-Natal	02 Officials received written warnings 06 Officials dismissed (01 Official appealed) 01 case under investigation.
Western Cape	01 official received verbal warning 01 official received written warning 01 case has been withdrawn 01 case under investigation.
Free State & Northern Cape	01 official received written warning 01 official is suspended 01 case under investigation
Limpopo, Mpumalanga & North West	01 official has been dismissed
Gauteng	01 official resigned 01 official dismissed 01 official is on 03 months suspension 01 official is on 02 months suspension 01 official received final written warning 02 officials disciplinary process underway

END.