The Department of Correctional Services has taken back full operational control of the Mangaung Correctional Centre following the expiry of a 25-year public-private partnership with Bloemfontein Correctional Contracts (BCC), operated by G4S, ending one of South Africa’s longest-running private prison management agreements.
The handover raises renewed attention on the privately run facility, which has in recent years faced scrutiny over management practices and operational challenges, and comes as government moves to place the high-security prison fully under state control.
The facility has now been incorporated into the Grootvlei Management Area under the Free State/Northern Cape Region.
National Commissioner Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale oversaw the transition on site, describing it as the result of more than two years of preparation to ensure continuity of operations.
“This transition is the result of more than two years of meticulous planning and preparation,” Thobakgale said.
