The jail, which houses some of some of the country’s most dangerous convicts, were circulated on Facebook on Monday.

Prison officials called a press conference to say that the photographs, taken at an event on June 21 are "authentic" and that those involved had been served with suspension letters.

Prisons commissioner James Smalberger said at a press conference that the officials include top management at the prison, which inmates jokingly refer to as “Sun City”.

"The form of entertainment as depicted on social media was not approved as it was not in line with the Department of Correctional Services' policies and procedures, which are clear in terms of appropriate clothing behaviour when inside a correctional environment," Mr Smalberger said.

The event was supposed to be part a “rehabilitation project” to commemorate Youth Day, when dozens of protesting school pupils were gunned down by the apartheid police in 1976.