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The National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale, has revealed details of a deadly gang-related stabbing at Pollsmoor Prison that left three inmates dead and two correctional officers injured on 29 October 2025.
The brutal attack is believed to have been a coordinated act of defiance against recent security interventions aimed at dismantling gang networks within the facility.
The Attack
The incident unfolded shortly after breakfast when remand detainee Bonginkosi Jali, 46, asked to use the toilet. Two other detainees, Ricardo Krotz, 28, and Andre Gouws, 22, were cleaning the passage at the time. All three were armed with sharpened weapons.
When Jali emerged from the toilet, he launched an attack on correctional officer Mr Somdyala, stabbing him multiple times. Despite his injuries, Somdyala managed to reach the unit office where his colleague Mr Rubushe was stationed. The three attackers pursued him and continued their assault on both officials.
Backup officers responded quickly, using force to disarm and subdue the attackers. All three inmates were taken to hospital, but Jali and Gouws died the same day. Krotz succumbed to his injuries two days later.
Both injured officers were treated at Constantiaberg Hospital and have since been discharged.
Gang-Related Motivation
Preliminary investigations suggest the attack was gang-related, with Jali reportedly identifying as a General of the 26’s Gang. A subsequent search of Unit D3 uncovered six weapons, including two okapi knives and four sharpened objects. The area remains under lockdown while the South African Police Service continues its investigation through an open inquest docket.
“The assault appears to have been a deliberate act of defiance, an attempt to reassert gang dominance in response to the Department’s renewed enforcement of discipline and order,” the Department stated.
Ongoing Gang Challenge
Commissioner Thobakgale emphasized that the incident highlights the persistent threat of gangsterism within South Africa’s correctional facilities.
“This incident serves as a stark reminder of the deep-rooted gangsterism challenge that continues to threaten safety within correctional facilities,” he said. “Gangsterism has no place in our correctional system. It destroys the very essence of rehabilitation and corrodes the moral fabric of our centres.”
