The Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services has raised concerns over healthcare, food safety and staffing challenges at Grootvlei Maximum Correctional Centre following an oversight visit to the Mangaung facility.
The Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services has raised concerns over conditions at the Grootvlei Maximum Correctional Centre in Mangaung after an oversight visit uncovered challenges relating to healthcare services, food safety measures and staff shortages.
The facility, which has the capacity to accommodate 2,928 inmates and is currently operating at full capacity, was taken over by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) on July 1, 2026, after 25 years under a public-private partnership managed by Bloemfontein Correctional Contracts (BCC), which had contracted G4S to operate the centre.
During the visit, committee members raised concerns over healthcare services after inmates reported challenges relating to medication availability.
Some inmates alleged that they had received incorrect medication, while others reported interruptions in the supply of chronic medication for up to three consecutive days.
