Brandvlei prisoners face recurring water shortages

The Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services has confirmed disruptions to water at Brandvlei Correctional Centre near Worcester in the Western Cape. Archive photo: Google Street View

• Prisoners at Brandvlei correctional centre near Worcester say water shortages have repeatedly left them with too little water for drinking, washing and flushing toilets.
• The Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services says disruptions continued beyond the two days acknowledged by the Department of Correctional Services.
• The inspecting judge has urged correctional services to work with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to ensure a reliable supply of water at the prison.

Prisoners and staff at the Brandvlei Management Area, a large prison complex outside Worcester, Western Cape, have faced frequent water disruptions and at times rationing.

GroundUp spoke to a prisoner out on parole and a current inmate. Both wished to remain anonymous. They said water disruptions have been frequent, often occurring after storms.

The prisoner said at times prisoners have had just one litre of water per day for drinking, brushing teeth, washing hands and cleaning utensils. He also described a crisis in 2024 when the whole Brandvlei premises had no water. Prisoners were unable to shower, flush their toilets, and had very little to drink.

The former inmate, released in 2025, said he had experienced water outages in 2024 and 2025. He said the maximum prison section was frequently affected by low water pressure, leaving prisoners unable to shower or flush toilets. He described the situation as “hell”. He said it often caused “friction” and fights. He said the experience left him traumatised.

A family member of the former inmate, who had frequently visited the prison, told GroundUp there were also issues with water at the visitors’ toilets.

GroundUp reported in July 2020 that prisoners experienced water outages and were allocated insufficient water for all of their needs.

Inspections

An oversight visit was conducted by Parliament’s portfolio committee on correctional services on 11 August 2026. MPs reported various challenges at the prison, including “aging and poor design of water reticulation infrastructure”.

Centre management had told the committee that ageing and poorly designed water infrastructure was a problem and proposed investing in it.

Following complaints by prisoners, inspecting judge Lee Bozalek visited the facility on 12 August.

Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS) spokesperson Kgomotso Mophulane said they were told the water reticulation system was damaged in the May floods, which “submerged the water pumps and pump stations, disrupting the provision of water for drinking, bathing, and flushing at the correctional centres”.

The sole source of the facility’s potable water is a natural thermal spring.

“Although DCS secured one replacement pump, the water supply remains inconsistent and is at times subject to inadequate pressure,” said Mophulane.

Correctional services disputes claims

DCS spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said that water supply was interrupted for only two days in May, when the spring flooded.

Asked how long the water had been cut off, Mophulane said, “It is evident from the complaints received by JICS and our inspection on 12 August 2026 that the water supply disruptions extended beyond two days and affected both inmates and DCS officials.”

“Although the situation has improved since the flooding first occurred, the water supply has not been fully restored. The centre’s reliance on a single pump has resulted in water being available only at certain times, toilets not always flushing, and inmates being provided with buckets of water when the supply is unavailable, and therefore the daily functioning of the correctional centre is still affected by the inconsistent water supply,” said Mophulane.

However, Nxumalo said they stand by their response and also rejected allegations related to insufficient water being given to prisoners during interruptions.

Nxumalo said, “Management immediately activated water tanker services to ensure the provision of water for drinking, washing and ablution purposes”.

He confirmed that in 2024, heavy rains damaged infrastructure and “several repair interventions were undertaken”.

“However, not all damaged infrastructure could be restored due to funding constraints. Outstanding repairs included the replacement and restoration of hot-water spring pumps, valves and extractor fans, which could not be completed owing to the unavailability of funding through [Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI)],” said Nxumalo.

He said DCS is not solely responsible, with DPWI being the custodian of the infrastructure and the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) providing technical support “where required”.

JICS recommendations

JICS has made several recommendations to the DCS to fix the situation in the long term.

Bozalek has recommended that DCS commissioners work towards a permanent solution to the water supply challenges” and engage with DPWI to ensure the second pump is repaired and operational by the end of 2026.

JICS also recommended that the regional commissioner prioritise elevation of the pump station, establish a timeframe for this, and allocate the necessary funding, while ensuring that “inmates and officials have sufficient access to clean water to meet their daily needs”.

Nxumalo said DCS is not able to discuss the JICS recommendations.

DPWI spokesperson Lennox Mabaso said the department was unaware of water supply problems at Brandvlei, and that DCS was responsible for appointing its own contractors for water issues.

Mabaso said a meeting was held between DCS, DWS and DPWI on the flooded water treatment plant and DCS was to appoint a contractor to fix the pump.

GroundUp received no response from DWS.

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