[WATCH] Urgent investigation into Westville prison incidents
Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, has ordered an immediate investigation into the conduct of prison officials at the Westville Correctional Facility in Durban after videos emerged on social media of inmates in possession of drugs and weapons.
Lamola has instructed the prison to compile a report detailing which officials have been implicated in the incident.
"Minister Lamola has made it clear that the report must be made available as soon as possible and he has also emphasized the fact that we are not a lawlessless state. Moreover, institutions which are meant to rehabilitate cannot be a hive of lawlessness," says the minister's spokesperson, Crispin Phiri.
Watch below:
This is one of the leaked videos of an inmate at the Westville prison, doing drugs. Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola has ordered an investigation into the conduct of prison officials. pic.twitter.com/1M5HxsQm1B
— Khanya Mntambo (@khanya_mntambo) June 24, 2019
This is another leaked video allegedly from the Westville Prison in Durban. Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola has ordered an investigation into the conduct of prison officials. pic.twitter.com/pYcFR0ZRA4
— Khanya Mntambo (@khanya_mntambo) June 24, 2019
The Democratic Alliances has welcomed the investigation, but says these are not isolated cases.
"This is a systemic problem of all prisons in South Africa and we need to deal with it systemically and that means there needs to be rigorous security checks at all entrances and exits to prisons, and those needs to include the prison officials themselves," says the DA's James Selfe.
He adds that the minister must consider some of the recommendations made in the 2001 Jali Commission to deal with misconduct in prisons.
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Urgent investigation into Westville prison incidents by Nokukhanya Mntambo on Scribd