Tana Malinga
South Africa’s correctional system is under mounting pressure, with prison overcrowding and rising incarceration costs continuing to strain public resources. As taxpayers shoulder the growing financial burden, calls are intensifying for government to find practical and sustainable solutions that safeguard both public finances and the integrity of the country’s justice system.
The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has now added its voice to the national debate, urging the South African government to immediately begin repatriating foreign national prisoners to their respective home countries. The party believes such a move would significantly reduce pressure on correctional facilities while freeing billions of rand that could instead be invested in improving the lives of South Africans.
In a statement released on 6 July 2026, the party revealed that, as of June 2026, South Africa’s correctional centres were housing 27,880 foreign nationals. Of these, 13,266 are serving prison sentences, while 14,614 remain in custody awaiting the finalisation of their court cases.
According to the MK Party, the Department of Correctional Services spends between R463 and R500 per inmate every day. Based on these figures, the cost of detaining foreign nationals amounts to between R11 million and R11.7 million daily, translating into an estimated R4.2 billion each year.
The party argues that these funds could make a meaningful difference if redirected towards critical national priorities such as job creation, healthcare services, education, infrastructure development and social welfare programmes that directly benefit South African citizens.
To address the challenge, the MK Party has called on government to immediately accelerate the repatriation of foreign prisoners, strengthen and expand bilateral prisoner-transfer agreements with neighbouring countries, and ensure that offenders continue serving their sentences in their countries of origin where applicable. It has also proposed that the repatriation process be completed by 24 September 2026, describing the date as a symbolic milestone linked to South Africa’s heritage and national sovereignty.
The proposal aligns with ongoing discussions in Parliament. The Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services has previously expressed support for legislative amendments that would enable convicted foreign nationals to serve their prison sentences in their home countries through formal prisoner-transfer agreements. Parliament believes such measures could help ease overcrowding while ensuring that justice is not compromised.
South Africa has already concluded a prisoner-transfer agreement with Botswana, although further amendments to existing legislation are still required before similar arrangements can be fully implemented with other countries.
As pressure continues to mount on correctional facilities and public finances, the debate over the management of foreign national prisoners is likely to remain firmly on the national agenda. Whether through legislative reform, expanded international cooperation or accelerated prisoner-transfer agreements, stakeholders agree that finding long-term solutions will be essential to creating a more efficient, sustainable and secure correctional system for the benefit of all South Africans.
