Acting prison boss racks up R1.4m hotel bill despite renovated state house being available

The acting Eastern Cape Correctional Services commissioner has cost the Department of Correctional Services more than R1.4 million by staying in a luxurious hotel for the past three years, despite a state house being vacant.

To make matters worse, the state house was even renovated for him at a cost of R1 million.

Lucky Mthethwa, a senior official deployed by the national office in Pretoria to the Eastern Cape in May 2021 to act as a commissioner, is accommodated at the beach-facing ICC Premier Hotel in East London at R1 440 per night. 

Leaked document

A document leaked to The Citizen shows that the hotel stay has cost the department R1 445 760 so far.

His three-year acting stint is also reportedly in violation of the Public Service Regulations policy which only allows an official to act in a position for no longer than six months.

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Mthethwa is the national chief of security at the department’s head office in Pretoria.

As a person responsible for the security of the country’s 243 prisons housing over 500 000 prisoners, he earns R1.4 million a year. He also gets around R400 000 a year as an allowance for acting as a commissioner in the Eastern Cape.

45 prisons house 20 000 inmates

The last time the Eastern Cape department had a permanent commissioner to run the province’s 45 prisons with 20 000 inmates was in 2018 when Nkosinathi Breakfast retired.

Since Breakfast’s departure, Pretoria appointed and recalled officials on two occasions.

Patrick Mashibini took over from Breakfast on a permanent basis but left the position vacant two weeks into the job after the national office recalled him back to Pretoria.

The department then opted not to re-advertise the position and appointed Phiko Mbambo who was number two on the interview scoresheet when Mashibini got the job.

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Just like Mashibini, Mbambo too was quickly poached by the head office a few months after getting the post.

The appointments of Mashibini and Mbambo were preceded by the 12-month acting stint of Breakfast’s deputy Noziphiwo Dumbela.  

After Mbambo’s departure, the head office then appointed Mthethwa to act in the position. He has been in this role since May 2021.

Mthethwa’s predecessor, Mbambo, had stayed in the state house situated on the East London Maximum Security Prison grounds after it received major security upgrades and a facelift. 

Expensive CCTV cameras

Insiders told The Citizen that the state house was installed with expensive CCTV security cameras and that painting and extensions were also done. Electric fencing was also installed.

But the Department of Correctional Services left many stunned when it approved Mthethwa’s hotel accommodation, despite the commissioner’s chambers being suitable to shelter him. 

The Police, Prisons and Civil Rights Union (Popcru) is outraged and has called for the department’s top brass to be hauled before parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services to answer to what it called waste of taxpayers’ money.

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In a response to The Citizen, Popcru said: “This union is not aware of acting policy that allows occupation of a post on acting basis for a period exceeding 12 months. Maybe the department is in possession of such a policy. We condemn this situation.”

While Mthethwa could not be reached for comment, the DCS defended his appointment and the royal treatment it is giving him.

Department says hotel is cheaper

In response to The Citizen, the department argued sheltering Mthethwa at a hotel was a cheaper option compared to accommodating him at the state house.

It further described the three-year stint as “temporary”.

“The transfer of Mr Mthethwa as Acting Regional Commissioner is temporary. The refurbished house referred to is not furnished as it is intended for permanently transferred officials who would relocate with their own furniture. If Mr. Mthethwa were to occupy the house, this would mean that the department is liable for the removal of furniture as well as the payment of resettlement fees,” said DSC national spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo.

Nxumalo added that while the Public Service Regulations states that a person may not act for more than six months, Mthethwa’s role has been extended by the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services who used his executive powers.

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