Lamola: Taxpayers not funding prisoners’ tertiary education
Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola has dismissed suggestions that taxpayers are funding the tertiary education of inmates.
The minister responded to claims that the department paid for inmates’ post-matric studies at the expense of law-abiding citizens.
Lamola announced the inmates' results at the Durban Correctional Centre in Westville, Kwa-Zulu Natal on Tuesday.
The inmates who wrote matric exams achieved a 93.2% pass rate.
READ: Prisoners score 93.2% matric pass rate
Lamola clarified that any funding beyond matric is the responsibility of the prisoners' relatives.
"As they see us now announcing the results, I know propaganda is going to run around that the Department of Correctional Services is going to pay for your tuition fees.
"You are having it nice and large in the Correctional Services.
"We are not paying for the post-matric qualification of inmates. It’s at the expense of their parents, relatives or bursaries," said Lamola.
