The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has officially taken over the full management and operational control of the former Mangaung Correctional Centre, ending a 25-year private management agreement with G4S-operated Bloemfontein Correctional Contracts (BCC).
Effective 1 July 2026, the prison has been renamed Grootvlei Maximum Correctional Centre and will now operate under the Grootvlei Management Area in the Free State/Northern Cape Region.
The takeover follows the expiry of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) agreement on 30 June 2026, bringing one of South Africa’s most closely watched privately managed prisons under direct state control.
“The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has officially assumed full management and operational responsibility of Mangaung Correctional Centre,” the department said in a media statement.
DCS confirmed that the facility remains fully operational and that extensive planning ensured a seamless handover without disrupting daily prison operations.
“Direct management by DCS reinforces government’s commitment to a correctional system that upholds constitutional values, promotes rehabilitation and reintegration, and places public safety at the centre of its mandate,” the department said.
The department added that the prison will continue operating in accordance with the Correctional Services Act, 1998, ensuring the safe, secure and humane detention of inmates under state management.
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