Beware of impersonation scam targeting public over correctional services learnerships
In a statement released by the DCS, it was made clear that Mr Singabakho Nxumalo does not engage in any recruitment processes nor does he solicit, facilitate, or receive any payments relating to learnerships or employment. The department is adamant that any calls from someone merely identifying as 'S Nxumalo' should raise immediate suspicion and should not be entertained by the recipient.
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IOL News
2 days ago
- IOL News
Prison overcrowding crisis raises alarm with 57,000 remand detainees
The Department of Correctional Services says its attempts to refer cases to court for some categories of prisoners to be released to serve community corrections were not yielding much success as fewer matters were approved. Image: File The Department of Correctional Services has revealed that it has a staggering population of 57, 000 remand detainees while prisons are bursting at the seams with an overcrowding of 163, 000 prisoners. The department said its attempts to refer cases to court for some categories of prisoners to be released to serve community corrections, were not yielding much success as fewer matters were approved. Deputy minister Lindiwe Ntshalintshali said the law provided that remand detainees may be considered for correctional supervision after serving almost two years uninterrupted detention. 'Where we apply and seek approval, we don't have control over that hence we say the engagement between ministers (Correctional and Justice) is very important so that they can assist in that regard,' she said, adding that some remand detainees can't be released because of the nature of crimes committed. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ On Friday, MPs heard that the Correctional Services Act makes a provision that the period of incarceration of a remand detainee must not exceed two years from the initial date of admission into the remand detention facility without such matter having been brought to the attention of the court. The Criminal Procedure Act allows any court when a charge is pending when bail is granted to add further conditions of bail under correctional supervision on application by the prosecutor. A presentation to the portfolio committee on Friday showed that there were 57,901 remand detainees as at June 30. Chief deputy commissioner for remand detainees Cynthia Ramulifho said the prison population stood at 163,179. She said the court referrals, made on the basis of the Criminal Procedure and Correctional Services Acts, were used to reduce overcrowding in prisons. Ramulifho said there were 71 unsentenced children while 41 were incarcerated. 'At the time we appeared before the committee, we were sitting around 56 and now it has gone up,' she said in reference to unsentenced minors. Ramulifho also said about 40% of the total sentenced offender population were serving sentences above 15 years, inclusive of those serving life sentences. 'Lifers will typically remain incarcerated for longer periods of time and are sentenced or convicted of serious crimes. This means that bed spaces will not become readily available, which places more pressure on already overcrowded correctional facilities.' She told MPs that the department identified those remand detainees who qualify for referral to be considered for correctional supervision. Ramulifho said: 'We don't get positive results.' Out of the 24,566 referrals made in 2022/23, only 308 were successful. There were only 560 referrals that were approved out of 19,764 the following year. In 2024/25, only 676 were approved from 18,206. The department revealed that only 2405 referral for conversion of bail to correctional supervision were proved over the past three years. Ntshalintshali said the figures showed that there were challenges in terms of the results they desired. 'Whereas Correctional Services is pushing, there is a bit of a process with the Minister of Justice. We must find a way to deal with these matters," she said. MK Party's Musawenkosi Gasa said the data revealed that were systemic inefficiencies. 'The high percentage of inmates serving above 15 years exacerbates the overcrowding yet Department of Correctional Services fails to propose a concrete plan for long-term sentencing reforms,' Gasa said. ANC's Samuel Moela said the issue of overcrowding remained a serious challenge in correctional centres. Moela said the planned meeting between the two ministries should meet so that they could commit to a long term solution to the overcrowding problem in the prisons. Committee chairperson Kgomotso Ramolobeng urged the two departments to continue working together in order to strive for better ways to implement the pieces of legislation effectively. Ramolobeng called on the department to capacitate and improve the functioning of community corrections so that the courts can have confidence in the system and place more remand detainees under correctional supervision.
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
Court processes clogging prisons, hears correctional services committee
The Department of Correctional Services says 40% of the prison population is serving sentences of 15 years or more. The high number of suspects remanded in custody is being exacerbated by avoidable postponements, says the department of correctional services (DCS). The department's portfolio committee was on Friday given a presentation on measures to reduce overcrowding, when the challenges with the legal system were explained. Legislation mandates that suspects should not be held indefinitely and that reasons for extended stays under remand must be recorded. Large lifer population The two pieces of legislation covered by the briefing were Section 49G of the Correctional Services Act and Section 62F of the Criminal Procedure Act. Section 49G says that remanded suspects must not be held in custody for longer than a period of two years without the relevant court being notified. Section 62F relates to the adjust of bail conditions imposed upon accused persons awaiting prosecution. Causing additional congestion is the number of inmates serving lengthy sentences, with 40% of inmates serving sentences over 15 years. 'This means that bed spaces will not become readily available, which places more pressure on already overcrowded correctional facilities,' DCS said. The department said 19 664 inmates were sentenced to life, 10 870 inmates were serving sentences of 20-25 years and another 10 856 were serving between 15 and 20 years. Reasons for postponements Those remanded in custody — a total of 57 800 inmates — while awaiting prosecution are done so because the suspect is either ineligible for bail or can not afford bail. Postponements and case delays prolong the accused stays, with DCS listing the reasons given by the relevant courts being: Presence of the co-accused; Changing of legal representatives; Request for case related documents so that the newly appointed legal representatives can prepare for the case; Delays in handing over of case documents to the newly appointed legal representatives; Lack of funds to pay private legal representatives; Additional charges inferred to the accused while on bail; Multiple number of co-accused in one case; Accused linked to other crimes that are under investigation; Withdrawal of legal representation by attorneys; Delays in securing a date in the high court; Loss of court records; Failure of witnesses to appear in court leading to the case being remanded several times; Multiple witnesses in the case; Requests for remand by defence, lawyers of the accused or the state; and Requests for separation of trials. Solving the 'puzzle' DCS said its remedies included greater integration with the justice, crime prevention and security (JCPS) cluster and the greater involvement of the national case backlog committee. uMkhonto weSizwe party's Musawenkosi Gasa questioned the effectiveness and efficiencies of the listed, as well as that of the backlog committee. 'There is no evidence of [any] impact on reducing delays. So the lack of integration between JCPS cluster system further undermines accountability,' said Gasa. DCS Minister Pieter Groenewald acknowledged the delays in the courts system, but said incremental steps were being made. 'It remains a challenge but this is one of the ways to see how we can deal with our overcrowding. 'I always say when we talk about overcrowding that it is like a puzzle and there are small pieces that must complete the puzzle. So this is one of them,' said Groenewald. NOW READ: Cheap labour? Here's how much prisoners earn in Correctional Services' bakeries
The Citizen
4 days ago
- The Citizen
Top 10 stories of the day: Gupta house sold
Here's your daily news update for Thursday, 24 July 2025: An easy-to-read selection of our top stories. In the news today, one of three Saxonwold properties linked to the Gupta family has been successfully sold at auction on Thursday for R3.3 million. Meanwhile, the defence in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial has revealed that the accused intend to apply for their charges to be dropped. Furthermore, a Tammy Taylor franchisee who lost R5.8 million has spoken out about Peet and Melany Viljoen. Weather tomorrow: 25 July 2025 A yellow level 2 warning has been issued for damaging waves south of Durban, with wet and windy weather forecast inland. Full weather forecast here. Stay up to date with The Citizen – More News, Your Way. Gupta's property in Saxonwold compound sold for R3.3m at auction [PICS] One of three properties in Saxonwold, Johannesburg, linked to the Gupta family was successfully sold at auction on Thursday for R3.3 million. The public sale was part of an effort to recover funds from the family's confiscated estate. Number 3 Saxonwold Drive, part of the Gupta compound, seen on 24 July 2025. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen The homes are owned by Confident Concept, a Gupta-owned company currently under business rescue. The auction forms part of a larger effort to liquidate assets tied to the controversial family. CONTINUE READING: Gupta's property in Saxonwold compound sold for R3.3m at auction [PICS] Gupta's property in Saxonwold compound sold for R3.3m at auction [PICS] It was an eventful day in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Thursday, as the defence in the Senzo Meyiwa murder trial revealed that the accused intend to apply for their charges to be dropped. Proceedings resumed with officials from the Department of Correctional Services appearing before Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng to address his earlier ruling regarding accused number five, Fisokuhle Ntuli. State Prosecutor George Baloyi is seen at Pretoria High Court on 15 September 2022. Picture: Gallo Images/City Press/Tebogo Letsie After resolving the prison-related matters, prosecutor George Baloyi closed the state's case. 'It is precisely three years since the state started leading evidence, we formally close the case,' he said. With the state having closed its case, attention shifted to the defence. Defence attorneys disclosed that they have been instructed to file an application to have the charges dropped under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act. CONTINUE READING: Senzo Meyiwa murder accused seek to have charges dropped as state closes case Tammy Taylor franchisee who lost R5.8 million speaks out about Peet and Melany Viljoen A Tammy Taylor franchisee, who lost the R5.8 million she paid for two Tammy Taylor salons and a 30% stake in Tammy Taylor Global Franchising, says she had enough reason to 'get weird' when she went into business with the Viljoens. After the Pretoria High Court ordered Peet and Melany Viljoen to refund a franchisee R600 000 that she had paid for a Tammy Taylor salon that never materialised, the Viljoens left South Africa. Peet and Melany Viljoen of Tammy Taylor fame. Picture: Facebook In his first video from Miami, Peet says that Hantie Oosthuyzen, who paid R5.8 million for two salons and a stake in the business, became 'weird', and after they addressed the issue on WhatsApp, they did not hear from her again. Oosthuyzen told The Citizen that she used some of the investments she inherited after her husband passed away from cancer in 2022 to pay for the salons and her share in Tammy Taylor Global Franchising. Oosthuyzen has a minor child and still works in her profession, as she is now the breadwinner. CONTINUE READING: Tammy Taylor franchisee who lost R5.8 million speaks out about Peet and Melany Viljoen MPs asked to recuse themselves from Mkhwanazi police corruption allegations probe EFF president Julius Malema says Kenny Kunene should tell the truth about why he was at the house of a man suspected of killing musician and businessman, DJ Sumbody. Kunene was found in a Sandton house where businessman Katiso 'KT' Molefe was arrested for the murder of Oupa Sefako, also known as DJ Sumbody. EFF leader Julius Malema during a press briefing on 24 July 2025. Picture: X/@EFFSouthAfrica He told the police that he was there to facilitate an interview for a journalist who works for his online publication. But Malema on Thursday described this as a 'story'. 'To take a journalist is not a secret operation. Who is that journalist? Why would you take a journalist to someone who just came out of prison, someone who is on bail, as an MMC?' he said. CONTINUE READING: Malema accuses Kunene of lying about relationship with man accused of murdering DJ Sumbody Health care crisis: SA loses nearly 6 000 doctors and nurses a year South Africa's public healthcare system is hemorrhaging medical professionals at an alarming rate, with nearly 6 000 doctors and nurses resigning annually from state facilities. Recent parliamentary data reveals the devastating scale of the brain drain crippling the country's health sector. The brain drain is crippling the country's health sector. Image: iStock Official figures from the Persal system show that between 2013 and 2025, South Africa lost 12 745 doctors and 58 897 nurses from public health care facilities. Combined, this represents an average of approximately 5 900 doctor and nurse resignations per year over the 12-year period from 2013 to 2024. CONTINUE READING: Health care crisis: SA loses nearly 6 000 doctors and nurses a year Here are five more stories of the day: Yesterday's News recap READ HERE: Top 10 stories of the day: NA approves Appropriation Bill | US Bill's bid to sanction ANC officials | Inflation increases
