CAPE TOWN - Parliament's Correctional Services Portfolio Committee Chairperson says the number of foreign nationals in the prison system remains a concern.
Department of Correctional Services figures show South Africa's prisons hold 27,880 foreign nationals, comprising 14,614 awaiting trial detainees and 13, 266 sentenced offenders.
Kgomotso Ramolobeng, the Committee chairperson said accelerating legislative reforms and strengthening bilateral agreements to repatriate foreign inmates to their countries of origin could help ease the burden.
"If that can be spread or outlined throughout SADC countries, it will yield positive results of having all those who are already sentenced, and being able to be sent to their countries of origin to finish their sentences," Ramolobeng said.
However, she said we are still waiting for the amendment of a Bill which stipulates that a person who is incarcerated in South African facilities needs to be kept here until they finish their sentence.
According to Ramolobeng, the country recently signed a prisoner transfer agreement with Botswana, which provides a framework for the repatriation of sentenced offenders to serve their sentences in their home country.