A video showing an inmate cooking inside a prison cell has gone viral on social media, prompting public questions about safety, oversight and allowances in the country’s correctional facilities.
Reports indicate that cooking inside prison cells is illegal and presents fire hazards as well as health risks to inmates and staff. The footage has led social media users to question management, supervision and oversight within the correctional system.
The Department of Correctional Services operates a national menu on a 12-day cycle in which meat is served infrequently. Seasoning is optional under the standard provisions. Recent budget reductions exceeding R200 million have resulted in changes to meal plans, including smaller portions and substitution with more affordable alternatives.
Inmates have reported that the updated feeding programme provides less frequent servings of beef, chicken or fish — sometimes only once every 12 days — along with reduced quantities and instances of undercooked or poor-quality food. Some prisoners have described the meals as less palatable than previous standards.
In certain facilities, inmates supplement official rations through other means, including preparation of additional food items using available resources.
At the other end of the spectrum, Ebongweni Super Maximum Correctional Centre (C-Max) in Kokstad enforces the country’s strictest security regime. Inmates there are housed in single cells measuring 5 m² and spend up to 23 hours per day in isolation within remotely controlled units. Each cell contains a concrete slab, mattress and blanket, with a Bible as the only permitted reading material in some cases. Doors operate electronically, minimising direct contact with staff.
The Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services has documented conditions at the facility including water shortages for showers in some sections and shortages of uniforms, pyjamas, socks and shoes. South African legislation prohibits solitary confinement — defined as 22 hours or more per day without meaningful human contact — except under limited segregation provisions, yet extended isolation has been recorded in high-security units including C-Max.
These reported variations in conditions across South African correctional centres continue to draw attention from oversight bodies and the public amid ongoing discussions on security, resource allocation and compliance with legal standards.
Armed Robbery and Hijacking Strike Home in Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal
Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal – Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) officers were dispatched to a residence in Berry Stone, Whetstone, Phoenix, on Saturday morning following reports of an armed robbery and vehicle hijacking.
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The call-out took place at approximately 07:30. Upon arrival, officers were briefed that armed suspects had pulled up to the property in a silver Volkswagen Polo sedan.
The intruders then robbed the occupants at gunpoint. Mobile phones and other valuables were taken during the attack.
Once the robbery was complete, the suspects hijacked a silver Toyota Cross that belongs to the homeowners. The vehicle carries the registration BJ27RX-ZN.
The group fled the scene in the hijacked Toyota Cross while openly brandishing firearms.
A video related to the incident was provided to the Reaction Officers.
Two Suspects Killed in Police Shootout in KwaNgcolosi After String of Family Murders
KwaNgcolosi, KwaZulu-Natal – Two men have been killed during a confrontation with KZN police in the early hours of this morning.
One of the deceased, believed to be approximately 24 years old, was the main suspect wanted in connection with multiple murders in the area. The second man was his accomplice.
Police located both suspects at a rondavel. When officers confronted them, the two men allegedly opened fire. A shootout followed, resulting in the deaths of both suspects. Two firearms were recovered at the scene. No police members were injured.
The main suspect had been linked to a series of killings, including the deaths of family members. A few days ago, a grandmother and a young girl were shot dead while in their beds at home. Another person present during the attack survived with injuries.
Investigations revealed that the suspect had also targeted his own relatives. He believed his father’s death was connected to witchcraft. The first family member he killed was an aunt, who was stabbed to death. This was followed by the stabbing death of an uncle.
The young girl killed in the recent shooting at the family home had been a witness to the aunt’s murder. In addition, the suspect – who was known to associate with local criminals – recently contacted another uncle by phone and told him that his days were numbered.
The incidents form part of an ongoing investigation into the killings in the KwaNgcolosi area.
Two Killed and Thirteen Injured in Taxi Collision with Perimeter Wall on M2 Freeway in Germiston
A fully loaded Toyota Quantum minibus taxi collided with a stationary perimeter wall fence at the intersection of the M2 freeway eastbound and Refinery Road in Germiston, City of Ekurhuleni, early this morning.
The incident was reported at 06:15. Disaster and Emergency Management Services teams from the City of Ekurhuleni responded immediately to the scene and began rescue operations.
After completing an assessment and triage of those involved, paramedics declared a male driver and a female passenger dead at the scene as a result of the injuries sustained. Thirteen passengers were injured in the crash.
Of the injured passengers, five were in critical condition, five were in serious but stable condition, and three sustained minimal injuries. All injured passengers received medical treatment at the scene before being transported to the nearest medical facilities.
Rescue crews used specialised hydraulic rescue equipment to free the entrapped driver from the vehicle.
The collision caused the temporary closure of two lanes at the intersection while the scene was cleared and rehabilitated.
Metropolitan police officers attended the scene and carried out the necessary investigations.
The bodies of the two deceased were removed from the scene and transported to a pathology facility in Germiston.
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Tragedy on Olifantsafontein Road: Young Girl and Avanza Driver Killed in Head-On Collision
A head-on collision between an Avanza and a grey Audi at the intersection of Olifantsafontein Road and South View has claimed the lives of two people, including a young girl.
The driver of the grey Audi, a 30-year-old man, is alleged to have been under the influence of alcohol when the vehicles collided. Officers from the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department tested the Audi driver on the scene and recorded an alcohol reading of 0.64.
Paramedics certified both the driver of the Avanza and the female passenger, aged between 10 and 11 years, dead at the scene after they succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash.
A second passenger in the Avanza, a 16-year-old girl, suffered serious injuries. She was transported to Thembisa Tertiary Hospital for urgent medical treatment.
The 30-year-old driver of the Audi was arrested at the scene. He will face charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless and negligent driving, culpable homicide, and fleeing from the scene of the accident.
This information is based solely on details released regarding the incident. No further particulars about the identities of the victims or additional circumstances have been made available at this stage.
