Gang members use prisons as refuge from street wars, Madlanga commission told
· Citizen
Some street gang members deliberately commit crimes to get themselves arrested and placed behind bars when violence between rival gangs escalates, the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry heard on Thursday, 17 September 2026.
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Correctional Services National Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale took the witness stand at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria as the commission continues its investigation into allegations of criminality, political interference and corruption within South Africa’s law enforcement structures.
His testimony provided insight into the relationship between street gangs and prison gangs and how criminal networks can continue operating despite their members being incarcerated.
Prison does not end criminal operations
Thobakgale told the commission that the country’s correctional centres remain vulnerable to criminal activity, with 243 facilities housing about 167 000 inmates and being serviced by approximately 18 000 correctional services officials.
He highlighted that incarceration does not necessarily cut offenders off from criminal networks or prevent them from pursuing criminal objectives.
According to the commissioner, the activities are driven by the money generated through illegal markets.
“The motive is the illicit economy,” he said, referring to activities including drugs, human trafficking and extortion.
Gang members, Thobakgale testified, generally do not conceal their affiliations and can often be identified through tattoos and other indicators.
“In terms of how gangs operate and the code, if you belong to a gang, you cannot deny that unless you are given a specific instruction to deny it because you’ll be given a particular task to perform within a correctional setting.”
Street gangs entering prisons
Thobakgale said the presence of street gang members inside correctional facilities has become increasingly prominent, creating a direct connection between criminal activity on the streets and gang structures inside prisons.
“The lines become blurred when you come in from the outside. As a gang member, you affiliate to a particular gang and you also maintain your gang position.
“If you were a leader outside when you come in, the assimilation is seamless.”
The commissioner also described a gang culture in which violence has historically been central to establishing authority and rank.
“In the culture of gangs, you do not gain authority. You do not get a rank if you do not perform specific tasks, and in most instances, those tasks will have to do with taking blood.”
Money has, however, changed the way some gang members acquire positions.
Juvenile gang members
The commissioner indicated that gang affiliation can be passed between generations, with some young offenders entering the correctional system already connected to established gangs.
He claimed that prison gangs are often made up of members from the same families.
“You’ll discover that the father, uncle or someone older in the family has been a member of a gang and actually held a rank.
“So when they come into correctional facilities, already, they are members of gangs as juveniles.”
According to Thobakgale, older gang members can direct younger members to commit serious crimes, including murder.
He explained that this is due to the different way the criminal justice system deals with children compared with adults.
“That’s why most of the murders we seen in the Western Cape come from the category of juveniles. They get recruited in that manner.”
Gang war can drive inmates into prison
Thobakgale told the commission that the relationship between street gangs and prison gangs is not merely informal, with crime studies pointing to attempts by broader criminal organisations to use prison-based structures to advance their interests.
The connections allow criminal activities and gang influence to continue despite members being incarcerated.
One of the more striking aspects of Thobakgale’s testimony was his account of gang members intentionally getting themselves arrested when they face serious threats on the streets.
He testified that some gang members regard correctional facilities as a safer environment when gang warfare becomes intense.
“When some of these gang members are exposed to serious fire outside, they actually commit crimes that would get them arrested and come into a correctional facility.
“Because we have security protocols and arrangements in place to ensure that each and every inmate is safe, they are then in a better place compared to being on the streets.”
This strategy, Thobakgale pointed out, depends on the gang member having connections with prison gangs.