Correctional Services Minister Sbu Ndebele has told parliament that his department now has doubts about the effectiveness of bringing in private contractors to run prisons.
He was speaking to the parliamentary portfolio committee on correctional services yesterday in the wake of allegations of torture and brutality by a contractor's employees at Mangaung prison, in the Free State.
ANC MPs said such outsourcing should be abandoned.
Committee chairman Vincent Smith told Ndebele: "You can leave here knowing that the sentiment of the portfolio committee is that we are not in favour [of such outsourcing]."
Mangaung, and Kutama Sinthumule prison, in Limpopo, are the only privately operated prisons.
Ndebele said a preliminary report on medical practices at Mangaung prison, which is run by security company G4S, was expected on Friday.
It is alleged that prisoners were forcibly injected with anti-psychotic drugs and subjected to electroshock therapy .
"At the institution we have almost 3000 offenders and you have one person there that is assigned to do certain things," said chief deputy commissioner of incarceration and corrections James Smalberger.
"The investigation is also looking at the role of the [prison] controller as an individual. We will make sure that those who are implicated face the consequences of their actions. Nobody has been suspended," he said.
G4S is a 20% shareholder in the Bloemfontein Corrections Consortium, which was awarded the contract to build and operate Mangaung prison in 2000.
The 25-year contract is worth more than R12-billion, the acting chief financial officer of the Department of Correctional Services, Nandi Mareka, said.
She said since taking over at the prison G4S had paid the state R1.4-million in penalties.
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