Correctional services raids Kgosi Mampuru II after prisoner video
Correctional Services says a search of a unit at Kgosi Mampuru II turned up phones, drugs and hacksaw blades after a video of inmates dancing surfaced.
The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has searched a prison unit and seized a large haul of banned items, following public anger over a video shared on social media, The Citizen reported on 7 November 2026.
The footage shows inmates at Kgosi Mampuru II dancing and making merry. A man who looks like disbarred advocate Malesela Teffo is seen dancing while others around him laugh and take part. A laptop can also be seen on a bed.
What the search turned up
National Commissioner Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale told management to carry out an urgent search of the unit where the men sleep. According to DCS spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo, officials confiscated the following:
- five cellphones and three routers
- one laptop and three USB devices
- two bank cards and 11 chargers
- 16 packets of illicit cigarettes
- five balls of dagga and 194 Mandrax tablets
- two hacksaw blades and various sharp objects
Nxumalo said the quantity and type of goods found showed how serious the security lapses were, and that the department intends to deal with them.
Consequences for inmates and officials
Inmates found with illegal or unauthorised items will face internal disciplinary processes, the department said. Their behaviour will also be weighed when their profiles are assessed. That could affect where they are placed in the correctional system, as well as their privileges, subject to the applicable procedures.
DCS also plans a full investigation, including how the device used to film the video got into the facility. Nxumalo said any officials who may have been involved or were negligent will be looked into, and action will follow if wrongdoing is established.
Thobakgale said inmates cannot break rules and security protocols without facing consequences. In his words, “Maintaining discipline across all correctional facilities remains cardinal.” The department said keeping prisons free of contraband is one of the commissioner’s key priorities, and that he has repeatedly urged all management areas to run intensive searches.
What happens next
No outcome of the disciplinary processes or the investigation has been announced yet. The department has not said whether any officials are implicated. Further details are expected only once those processes run their course.
This story is based on reporting by The Citizen.
