Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola said that his department had served a notice to prisons contractor, G4S, for the termination of its contract to run the Mangaung Correctional Centre.
Lamola was addressing Parliament’s justice committee about his department’s annual performance and budget on Tuesday morning.
The DCS has kicked off processes to enable it to manage the facility.
This comes after the escape of convicted murderer and rapist, Thabo Bester from the Mangaung facility.
The minister added that Bester was currently in custody at the Kgosi Mampuru correctional facility and would appear in court on 16 May.