Over 22,000 foreign inmates are now in South African prisons

Over 22,000 foreign inmates are now in South African prisons, including 690 who are serving life sentences. 

Ms. Anthea Ramaboleng, the chairperson of the rehabilitation committee in Parliament, states that the prisons are overcrowded, housing 156,000 inmates while there are only 105,474 beds available.

The Department of Correctional Services spends R500 daily to keep each inmate in solitary confinement.

In some facilities, there are more foreign prisoners than local ones.

This situation results in taxpayers spending R11.3 million each day to support the 22,000 foreign inmates, totaling around R4 billion annually.