#PrisonStrippers no surprise, says activist
The CEO of the South African Prisoners Organisation for Human Rights (SAPOHR), Golden Miles Bhudu, says he is not in the least bit surprised by the latest controversy to have hit the Johannesburg Correctional Centre.
Photos of scantily-clad women entertaining inmates went viral over the weekend.
Thirteen officials have been issues with notices of suspension, with the department of correctional services vowing to take strong action against those implicated.
While acting Commissioner James Smallberger says the incident will be thoroughly investigated, Bhudu believes the incident shouldn't come as a surprise.
"We are just angry and we want South Africans to be more angry than what we are. We can only describe this to rubbish and nullify the struggle for reforming and rehabilitating prisoners as well as the system."
He says that the correctional system is flawed, as it was inherited from the apartheid regime.
"We have worked tirelessly to rehabilitate the system because it was never demolished at the turn of democracy and this incident is taking us backwards," he says.
Bhudu says they have been calling on academics, researchers, politicians and lawmakers to help organisations like SAPOHR to improve the system.
"We are not going to leave this incident lying. Government must assist us in transforming this hell whole."