R11m a day on foreign inmates – Groenewald wants deportations, talks corporal punishment

Prisons

Cape Town – Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald has called for the deportation of foreign nationals sentenced to prison in South Africa, saying it would ease the financial burden on taxpayers.

According to TimesLIVE, the minister revealed that the country spends over R11 million each day to incarcerate more than 24,000 foreign inmates, at a cost of R463 per inmate per day.

He was speaking during a parliamentary budget vote on Tuesday.

“We are exploring various solutions, including diplomatic approaches,” Groenewald was quoted as saying in the report.

In a separate and controversial proposal, the minister suggested the reintroduction of corporal punishment as a possible measure to address the country’s prison overcrowding crisis.

He pointed to a 46% overcrowding rate and a budget under pressure due to significant cuts.

With more than 2,500 remand detainees unable to afford bail of R1,000 or less, Groenewald called for a public debate on using corporal punishment — such as caning or flogging — as an alternative to incarceration for certain offenses.

The aim, he said, is to reduce the strain on correctional facilities, which require an estimated 50,000 additional bed spaces.

While the proposal has sparked a fierce debate, with critics warning of ethical and human rights implications, supporters argue it could serve as a deterrent to crime.

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