Mahalapye Prison’s thriving underground economy
Sharon Mathala | Monday December 8, 2025 06:00
According to the inmates who spoke to Mmegi from inside Mahalapye State Prison recently on condition of anonymity, what unfolded recently at the Mahalapye Prison was not a routine search, nor a simple security sweep that officials often reference as preceded by unusual movements.
The operation was not a usual standard search but a targeted assault carried out while key inmates were quietly removed. It was strange indeed.
The prisoners, whose identities are withheld for their safety, recounted the moment officers stormed their overcrowded cell that houses roughly 80 men.
“It was in the wee hours of the morning when they came in shouting and banging doors. Before the officers raided, they came, and we had already noticed something strange as the favourites of the guards were moved out of the cell the night before, with no explanation.”
“Now, we understand why. They knew what was coming. They protected their people.”
The inmate insists the removal of certain prisoners was no coincidence. He says the men taken out are not just “favourites”; they are operators, the ones who keep the prison’s illicit marketplace running.
“Those guys are not just inmates. They are working for the officers. They run the guards’ business inside here,” he claimed.
He says several inmates were struck with batons, slapped and kicked as officers moved through the crowded room. “It was not the first time officers had raided. But this one was different. They beat people who were not resisting. They beat people who had nothing on them,” they said.
What stood out to the prisoners was that a group of inmates known to command influence inside the facility were transferred out the night before the raid. One inmate alleges that the fellow inmates are commonly understood to be working closely with certain officers and are central to the circulation of contraband inside the prison. Their removal raised suspicion, he says, because they were untouched during the raid, while the remaining inmates bore the brunt of the confrontation.
In their economy (the prison economy), nothing is cheap, nothing is accidental, and nothing moves without someone in uniform knowing. “A tablet phone goes for P4,000 to P5,000. A small phone, P1,000. Cigarettes and drugs are big business, but none of that gets inside without the guards,” he says.
“Business is booming. You would even think we are running a shop here,” he says with a bitter laugh.
Contraband is the lifeblood of a thriving underground economy, including mobile phones, drugs, and cigarettes, according to the inmates facilitated or at least tolerated by some prison senior officers.
They say the search lasted for hours, with officers turning bedding upside down and inspecting every corner of the cramped cell. A few small prohibited items were recovered, they admit, but maintain that nothing significant was found because the prisoners believed to be holding the bulk of the contraband were already gone. “If the officers were truly searching for illegal items, they would know who has them and where they come from. They didn’t touch those people because they benefit from them,” they claimed.
The inmate describes living conditions that leave prisoners with little room to move as squalid and unhealthy. Their cell accommodates twice the number it was designed for, forcing inmates to sleep in tight rows on the floor. Under such conditions, he believes that the trade in illegal goods has become a way for some inmates to secure small advantages. But those who operate the trade under the protection of officers hold greater power and often function as enforcers on behalf of the staff.
“We are not denying that illegal items exist inside the prison. But the way they (officers) came in that night had nothing to do with stopping the business. It was about showing that they can do what they want, and the ones who work with them were kept safe.”
Fear of retaliation, he says, prevents most inmates from reporting injuries or filing formal complaints. Some men sustained bruises and cuts, but none sought to report the incident to prison management. “You cannot complain to the same people who conducted the raid. You speak out, they will say you are lying, and then you will be targeted.”
“What happened since the raid?” Mmegi asked. Has the trade in phones, cigarettes, and drugs stopped? “Nothing has changed. The only thing that has changed is that now people are more afraid; everything else is in circulation,” they claim.
The Botswana Prison Service, responding to Mmegi team’s questions, insisted that security searches and inspections form part of its routine safety and order management procedures and are not unusual. The service says these searches are carried out to detect and remove prohibited items, strengthen institutional security and ensure the safety of both inmates and officers. It says that during routine searches across its facilities, prohibited items such as cellphones and dagga may be recovered.
“These searches are informed by periodic intelligence assessments, institutional security requirements, and our mandate to maintain order and prevent unauthorised activities,” BPS said. Prison service further says that during these routine searches, officers are authorised to use reasonable force only when necessary, and any unlawful use of force is prohibited and subject to disciplinary or legal action. Internal reviews, the service claims, are initiated whenever allegations arise,
On allegations that officers are involved in illegal trade inside the prison, the Prison Service says it does not condone misconduct of any kind. Any reports involving officers engaging in illegal activities with inmates are treated seriously and investigated through established procedures, and where evidence exists, appropriate disciplinary or criminal action is taken.
The inmates who spoke to Mmegi maintain that the searches illustrated a deeper problem inside Botswana prison, and they are of the view that the situation requires independent scrutiny. “If the public could see how the system works, they would understand why these searches don’t stop illegal items. The business continues because the people who are supposed to stop it are the ones benefiting,” they claimed.