Former Bosasa employees' fate uncertain
The National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Arthur
Fraser, says the department has put a plan in place to take over prison
kitchens when the controversial Bosasa contract comes to an end within the next
30 days.
On Monday, Justice Minister Michael Masutha, announced Bosasa had been given a notice of 30 days to cancel the last contract with the department.
This comes after the controversial facilities management's banks confirmed they would be closing banking accounts for Bosasa.
It follows the testimony at the State Capture Commission, where former Bosasa COO, Angelo Agrizz, testified that the company bribed top African National Congress (ANC) officials to secure lucrative government tenders.
Fraser says his department is looking at filling the skills gap that would be left by the departure of Bosasa.
"What we are doing in the mediate future is to make sure to look at the skills gap and contract where the department does not have the skills," says Fraser.
The Police and Prison Civil Rights Union (Popcru) has called on Correctional Services to employ Bosasa workers when the company is finally liquidated.
Masutha says out of the 226 kitchens at correctional services across the country, only 31 are outsourced and Bosasa just ran 26 of those kitchens.
The minister says 71% of the offenders receive food from the in-house kitchens and 29% are outsourced.
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