BLOEMFONTEIN, Free State — Hundreds of former G4S workers remain in employment limbo following the government takeover of the Mangaung Prison, now operating as the Grootvlei Maximum Correctional Centre. After the Department of Correctional Services assumed management of the Bloemfontein facility at the end of June, more than 200 correctional officers found themselves stranded without access to unemployment benefits or clear re-employment pathways.
The transition has sparked severe frustration among the former private security staff. Because the workers were neither formally fired nor retrenched by G4S, they are currently unable to access the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) to survive the interim period. Furthermore, the workforce has raised serious concerns regarding the state’s new recruitment process, alleging that it favors inexperienced officials over highly qualified candidates who previously managed the facility.
Highlighting the skills disparity, one former G4S employee holding an honors degree in correctional management expressed deep disillusionment with the hiring criteria.
“I have an honors degree in correctional management. When you say I do not qualify, where will I work with this because I’m a correctional officer?” the former employee asked. “Then they said no, it’s for our people.”
The worker noted that while many qualified staff applied and interviewed for advertised vacancies as early as June, they were passed over, only to watch new hires brought in just last week.
Beyond recruitment disputes, the workers pointed to a complex legal standoff involving Section 197 and Section 198 of the labor laws. With union avenues proving unsuccessful, the employees fear a pending court decision regarding their transfer of employment could take anywhere from two to five years to resolve, leaving them in “no man’s land.”
The mounting grievances prompted the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services to conduct an in loco inspection at the prison to ensure a smooth transition. In a notable move, the committee paused its official briefing session with prison and department officials to directly address the former employees who had gathered at the prison gates.
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee validated the workers’ concerns, describing their grievances as valid and in need of urgent attention. The Chairperson emphasized that the committee had previously instructed the department to prioritize former G4S employees during the transition and recruitment phases. A primary focus of the oversight visit was to gain clarity on the timeline for filling the facility’s 668 approved posts and to determine the exact status of the former private contractors.
Addressing the hiring delays and exclusions, the National Commissioner of Correctional Services explained that the recruitment process remains ongoing but clarified why certain former G4S staff were not immediately absorbed.
According to the National Commissioner, some individuals were not called back because they were facing disciplinary processes or were on suspension at the time of the state takeover. Additionally, public service regulations dictate that security personnel must retire at the age of 60, meaning some older former employees did not meet the active requirements for the new security posts. The National Commissioner added that several applicants are still awaiting interviews as the hiring drive continues.
Moving forward, the Portfolio Committee plans to review the department’s briefing alongside formal legal opinions before issuing official recommendations to resolve the employment crisis facing the former G4S workforce.