Mayor urges installation of cellphone signal blockers at Pollsmoor Prison

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has urged swift action to stop the increase in criminal activities being coordinated from Pollsmoor Prison.

In a formal letter to Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald this week, he called for the immediate installation of cellphone signal-blocking technology at the facility.

Smuggling mobile phones

The move comes after increasing reports that inmates use smuggled mobile phones to orchestrate serious crimes, including extortion.

In one recent case, a roads project in Bishop Lavis was abandoned after a contractor received extortion threats from an inmate connected to the criminal underworld.

“We must do more than just jail criminals; we have to prevent their ability to coordinate crime from within prisons,” Hill-Lewis stated.

The City of Cape Town has pledged full support for piloting advanced signal-jamming technology at Pollsmoor, providing technical assistance, intelligence-sharing, and public awareness campaigns.

Hill-Lewis praised the Minister’s commitment to tackle the issue and his plans to increase raids for contraband cellphones.

In response, Minister Groenewald confirmed that comprehensive measures are being developed to combat illegal activities inside South Africa’s prisons.

‘Broken criminal system’

The City has also voiced increasing concern over systemic problems in the parole system, where repeat offenders often return to communities without facing appropriate consequences.

“City officers regularly encounter parolees committing new offences.

“The broken criminal justice system continues to fail communities,” said Mayco Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

Smith emphasised the need for parole reform and proposed giving municipal officers investigative powers to help build prosecution-ready cases, especially for gang-related and extortion crimes.

These proposals come as authorities face growing pressure to enhance prison security and shield communities from organized crime operating from behind bars.