JOHANNESBURG - Parliament's Correctional Services Committee is worried about a spike in unnatural deaths in prisons.
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The department told MPs there has been a 30% increase over the past three years.
Suicide is the main cause of death, with 67 of the 152 confirmed unnatural deaths.
But, there is also concern over accountability, with over 400 cases still under investigation.
At least 86 officials have been charged with the deaths of offenders over the same period.