The Department of Correctional Services is investigating disturbing allegations that inmates at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Tshwane were forced to pay for beds.
Two former inmates told IOL that prisoners in cells C1 and C2 were allegedly charged R240 for a bunk bed and mattress.
One man claimed he was given a cellphone and bank details shortly after arriving and instructed to arrange payment through his wife.
Those who could not pay were allegedly left to sleep on the concrete floor in overcrowded cells holding more than 30 men.
Claims of sexual coercion emerge
The allegations go beyond payments for beds.
One former inmate claimed sexual pressure was also placed on new arrivals and that some prisoners were expected to provide sex in exchange for sleeping arrangements.
He alleged that an inmate who controlled the cell targeted him after he refused sexual demands.
These claims have not been independently proven.
Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said the department regarded the allegations as serious and would investigate them.
Department says beds must be free
Nxumalo said prison procedures require that inmates be provided with beds, toiletries, and other essentials at no cost.
He said the alleged practice had no place in correctional facilities.
The department did not specifically address the sexual coercion allegations in its initial response to IOL.
The alleged use of a cellphone inside the cells also raises questions about contraband.
Correctional Services said in May that intensified raids had resulted in the confiscation of more than 37,500 cellphones and other prohibited items nationwide.
Overcrowding adds pressure
The allegations come as South Africa’s prison system faces severe overcrowding.
Correctional Services recorded 169,519 inmates as of 5 May 2026, with overcrowding at 58%. Of those inmates, 63,194 were remand detainees.
Parliament has also highlighted overcrowding as a major human-rights and operational concern across the prison system.
Kgosi Mampuru II includes a remand detention facility, where people awaiting trial are held before conviction.
The department says its investigation will determine whether the alleged sale of beds and other abuses took place.