The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) officially assumed full management and operational control of the facility formerly known as the Mangaung Correctional Centre on 1 July 2026. The transition marks the conclusion of a 25-year public-private partnership with Bloemfontein Correctional Contracts (BCC), which had subcontracted G4S to run the prison, though a significant labour dispute has marred the state’s takeover.
Legal Stand-off Over Staff Absorption
In April 2026, the Labour Court ruled that the change in management constituted a ‘transfer of business’ under Section 197 of the Labour Relations Act. This legal classification requires the automatic absorption of existing employees by the new operator to protect job security, a decision the Department of Correctional Services has since appealed. On the morning of the handover, approximately 500 workers affiliated with the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) were denied access to the now-renamed Grootvlei Maximum Correctional Centre.
The department is heartless. How can it lock out people who served this correctional centre for more than 25 years? These are human beings, and these members of POPCRU have families they need to provide for.
Speaking to the media, Sibongile Ramahlokoane, the Free State POPCRU Secretary, condemned the department’s actions as the union continues to challenge the exclusion of these staff members. National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Makgothi Thobakgale, confirmed the full assumption of authority, stating that the expiration of the concession agreement effectively ended the long-standing arrangement with G4S.
Context Of The Facility Transition
The move to full state control follows years of intense public scrutiny regarding security at the Mangaung facility. The prison became the subject of national concern in May 2022 following the escape of convicted murderer and rapist Thabo Bester. While the government maintains that reclaiming management is essential for restoring state control and improving institutional integrity, the dispute over the workforce highlights the complex challenges inherent in ending long-term private prison contracts. The legal battle regarding the status of the 500 workers is expected to continue in higher courts, potentially setting a precedent for future public-private partnership terminations in South Africa.