Note that the seizures reflected below are accurate as per DCS – in an Altered State, the following could scenario warrants imagination.
South Africa has 243 prisons administered by the DCS which were all eligible for the Correctional Services Cannabis Cup, based principally on the amount of cannabis seized from each facility in the previous year. The assumption is that seizures represent a percentage of actual cannabis trafficked and this is a reliable performance indicator, but to what extent these percentages would be consistent across all facilities is a matter of debate. Gauteng, in particular, feels hard done by the rules committee and under-represented in this year’s event.
Limpopo Tops the Leader Board, Eastern Cape in Second Place
According to the Department of Correctional Services’ (DCS) own figures, Thohoyandou performed beyond expectation with over 42 tons of cannabis seized during the last financial year. This is a noteworthy achievement, representing 31% of the total haul of 135 tons recorded by the Top 10 jails. And bear in mind, that was only what was seized. Imagine what they’re getting away with.
Thohoyandou also set high standards of operational efficiency too, with confiscated cellphones and routers displaying the ability to seamlessly handle transactions despite the inconvenience that comes with working out of government offices. Most of the seized cannabis wasn’t in the cells either: it was discovered, neatly packaged, in the administrative section of the jail, awaiting despatch.
East London put in a fine show to take second place, but managed only to account for the seizure of 20 tons of cannabis over the same period. The Eastern Cape’s Kirkwood facility kicked up the provincial average somewhat with the discovery of just under 10 tons, but the truth is the Eastern Cape is resting on its legacy laurels instead of catching up with the times. Mpondoland loyalists, however, have vowed to up their game and take The Cup next year. They are likely to rally behind lifting Lusikisiki jail to give Thohoyandou a Venda-bender.
Witbank Prison in Mpumulanga put in a brave attempt to come in third with just under 19 tons seized by prison authorities. Barberton Medium, also in Mpumulanga, just scraped into Top 10 with just over 3 tons.
North West Puts in Best Provincial Showing, Gauteng Hangs its Head in Shame
Newcomer of the year was Losperfontein in North West. No, we hadn’t heard of it either, but it came out of nowhere to record a noteworthy 13 ton seizure. Klerksdorp and Rustenberg jails, also from that neck of the woods, put in respectable results Klerksdorp having the slight edge with 6,7 tons seized over Rustenberg’s 6,5 tons. Despite its lack of resources, North West has developed a depth of talent in this sector, being the only province to have 3 in the Top 10.
The Western Cape just didn’t shape up. Despite the wealth and experience of its culture and its legacy operation in Pollsmoor, Only Drakenstein Medium A near Paarl made it into the Top 10, with seizures of around 9 tons.
The biggest disappointment by far was Gauteng, which didn’t even feature despite its aggressive, competitive nature. Gautengers may argue that their prisons were handicapped in the contest by more intense vigilance than other provinces and thus escaped the attention of the judges.
However, the rules committee pointed out that institutional vigilance applied to every prison in the country, and part of the challenge in winning the cup was how to manage this vigilance without losing market share.
Could Thohoyando Take it to the Next Level, SAHPRA?
Rumours have been circulating that Thohoyandou Medium B’s dagga dealing team, flushed with success, is now looking at vertically integrating its business into in-house cultivation.
Word is that they’re after a SAHPRA Section 22 cultivation license as capex for their facility is already in the ground. Top notch security is in place in terms of cameras, fencing, visitor logs and safe access. Lighting? No problem, they’re always on. Added benefit – several Limpopo master-growers are already incarcerated there.
In the meantime, Thohoyandou is celebrating. For them it’s a question of ‘Tho-ho-ho-ho’ and off to the bank before preparing for 2026.
Competition organizers say next year’s event may be expanded to include crystal meth and heroin seizures as well.
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