Drakenstein prison: South Africa’s facility with the most disciplinary cases

During the last financial year, 65 disciplinary cases were registered in the Drakenstein Correctional Centre management area – the highest number in the country. Drakenstein Correctional Centre, near Paarl, has recorded the highest number of disciplinary cases in South Africa, at 65 disciplinary cases over the past financial year. This was confirmed by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services, following its oversight visit to the facility on Tuesday.

The cases were recorded from the start of April 2025 to the end of March 2026. Committee chairperson, Kgomotso Ramolobeng, said additionally, ahigh number of suspensions of officials linked to disciplinary cases in the management area is a cause for concern. “This is a significant number of disciplinary cases.

The figure is extremely high and may point to management failures or a lack of effective systems. “We previously urged the national commissioner to focus on the Drakenstein Management Area, and this confirms why,” said Ramolobeng. She noted that nationally, the Department of Correctional Services recorded 130 such cases, making Drakenstein the largest contributor.