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Department of Correctional
Services
November 27, 2009 Business Journal
More upheavals are in store for the South African prisons service, and the
labour movement will be at the centre of them. But only some of these relate to
the tender-rigging scandal exposed in a briefing to Parliament last week by
Special Investigations Unit (SIU) head Willie Hofmeyr. Hofmeyr informed
parliamentarians about the results of an SIU investigation into bribery and
corruption involving close to R2 billion in tenders to the Department of
Correctional Services. Central to this is the politically well-connected and
controversial Bosasa Operations, one of the companies approached a year ago to
tender for the construction and management of four maximum security prisons.
Hofmeyr did not mention the tenders or the planned new "private" prisons to be
constructed in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Gauteng. In fact, none of the
union federations and neither of the unions organising in the sector were aware
this week that private sector tenders had been sought and were being evaluated.
Apart from Bosasa, three other partnership companies "with BEE (black economic
empowerment) components" were invited to tender for the prisons to be built near
Paarl and in Nigel, Klerksdorp and East London. They are Geo Group of the US,
and two British-based prison operators, Kaylyx Services and the GSL subsidiary
of security company Group 4. According to a Correctional Services Department
source, the tenders closed on April 30 and construction is set to start next May
with completion in 18 months. This news has already started to cause
consternation throughout the labour movement, but it also comes at a time when
the trade unions in the sector are at their weakest for many years. Problems
that have festered for more than a decade have begun to surface, some of them
prompted by the SIU investigation, with its confirmation of rumours of
high-level corruption that have circulated for years.
November 22, 2009 Sunday Times
Bosasa Group, the company which allegedly paid kick-backs to correctional
services officials, sought to prevent parliament and the Special Investigating
Unit from releasing a report containing information about the scandal. Minister
of correctional services Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula allegedly also sought to keep
the report under wraps, sparking tension with Vincent Smith, the chairman of
parliament's portfolio committee on correctional services. As a result, deputy
president Kgalema Motlanthe had to intervene. Smith confirmed that Bosasa had
demanded that the report be kept "confidential", but denied Mapisa-Nqakula's
alleged role in the attempted cover-up. The investigating unit confirmed that
Bosasa's lawyers wrote indicating "that they (Bosasa) believed the proposed
presentation was unlawful". In February the company also launched "legal
proceedings to stop the questioning of some witnesses and the investigation
itself. The SIU has agreed not to question witnesses until the finalisation of
the (court) proceedings." The unit's report details how Bosasa won contracts
from correctional services. Unit head Willie Hofmeyr released parts of the
report to the portfolio committee this week, including allegations that Bosasa
paid kick-backs to top government officials. One official allegedly accepted a
house, cars, an overseas trip for his daughter and rugby season tickets to watch
the Blue Bulls in exchange for awarding tenders. The company, which was
repeatedly defended by former correctional services minister Ngconde Balfour,
received tenders worth close to R2-billion for services in IT, security and
prison meals, and in some cases it allegedly wrote tender specifications.
Hofmeyr said the official, who is still to appear in court and may not be named,
was instrumental in awarding four tenders worth hundreds of millions of rands to
a single service provider and its affiliates between 2004 and 2006. Smith said
he took Bosasa's demand to parliament's legal advisers, who advised him to
reject it on the basis that he did not have a copy of the unit's report. "I
don't know whether by the 'report' they meant information on the report or the
report itself. They said that because they had issues with the report, it must
be kept confidential," Smith said. "We said to them, in two paragraphs crafted
by the legal department of parliament, that it (their demand) does not arise
because we don't have the report." It is not clear how Bosasa came to know about
the pending release of the report to parliament. Smith, an ANC MP, denied there
were tensions between him and Mapisa-Nqakula, over the unit's report. But
government and parliamentary officials said that the differences between the two
were resolved at a meeting with Motlanthe, the leader of government business in
parliament. The meeting paved the way for the portfolio committee to hear the
unit's findings. Motlanthe's office confirmed the meeting took place but denied
that the report was discussed. His office said Motlanthe met the two after
questions were raised about Mapisa-Nqakula's "relationships" with the portfolio
committee. It did not specify the nature of the relationships that led to the
hastily convened meeting. "The report was not a subject of discussion at this
meeting, but the functioning of the committee as a consequence (of)
relationships," Motlanthe's office said. Smith said the meeting discussed the
need for Mapisa-Nqakula to attend ANC portfolio committee caucuses.
Mapisa-Nqakula denied harbouring concerns over the handling of the report. She
declined to answer questions about the meeting with Motlanthe, nor would she
confirm whether it had taken place. Her spokesman, Sonwabo Mbananga, said the
minister " has never lost a night's sleep" over the report and "has never and
still does not harbour concerns with regard to processes that are unfolding ..."
Sources said Mapisa-Nqakula had stunned ANC MPs when she disclosed that she had
attended a function sponsored by Bosasa at an East London prison a week before
the Special Investigating Unit briefed the portfolio committee about the
company's alleged shady deals. "The ministerial team only found out in the vote
of thanks that one of the sponsors was Bosasa," Mbananga said. Bosasa spokesman
Papa Leshabane questioned the report's findings because the company had not seen
the report and had not been afforded an opportunity to respond.
September 28, 2009 Sunday Independent
Damning evidence of corruption and rigging of prisons tenders worth close to
R2 billion has been uncovered by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), with
bidders drafting their own specifications. Current and former Correctional
Services officials could be prosecuted. The Star can reveal that the unit was
due to tell MPs last week that it had found evidence of collusion between
Correctional Service Department officials and suppliers. It also found evidence
that the bidders which won the multibillion-rand contracts - which include
providing prison kitchen and security services - had drafted their own tender
specifications. The SIU has since 2006 investigated a security company with
close links to ANC politicians and top government officials. The company, known
to The Star, won prisons contracts worth more than R1.6 bn. The SIU said it had
referred its report to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) "for (a)
decision regarding prosecution". NPA spokeswoman Bulelwa Makeke said the
relevant prosecutions staff had not yet seen the report. A copy of the report,
which recommends disciplinary action against 22 officials, also went to
Correctional Services Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula earlier this month. It is
understood that the report could also implicate top ruling party politicians and
government officials, hence the sensitivity. Mapisa-Nqakula failed to renew the
unit's contract when it expired in April. The department has contracted the SIU
since 2002 after a judicial commission uncovered large-scale corruption in
prisons. The SIU reported in its submission that R6.9 million has already been
recovered through its investigation into the 200 most expensive contracts in the
department, while assets of R12m were under restraint and a R4.8m saving had
been made. It also said "further asset seizures (are) pending". SIU head Willie
Hofmeyr said last night he did not want to comment at this stage. DA MP and
shadow minister of correctional services James Selfe said that, given the extent
of corruption and malpractices that were uncovered by the SIU, he would like to
ask Mapisa-Nqakula why investigative unit's contract had not been renewed. "The
SIU is obviously a very cost-effective way of uncovering corruption in the
department, which appears to be widespread," he said.
July 24, 2009 Bua News
A final report on the investigation into tenders amounting to over R1.6
billion will be submitted to the Department of Correctional Services in August.
This was revealed during a meeting between Special Investigating Unit (SIU) head
Willie Hofmeyer and Acting National Commissioner of Correctional Services,
Jennifer Schreiner, to update her on progress made in the investigation. The
investigation was commissioned by Correctional Services in March 2006. It covers
major tenders entered into by the department for nutrition services, CCTV
security, fencing and television monitors. In 2005, government approved a R436
million contract to install high perimeter fences with detectors and close
circuit television systems at all correctional centres in the country. The
department also approved the implementation of an R88 million security system at
66 correctional centres, including 36 centres of excellence and 30 other
high-risk prisons. This was an attempt by the department to curb prison escapes.
The SIU is also probing a deal between the department and a company known as
Bosasa Operations to provide food for South Africa's main prisons. Since 2004
Bosasa Operations and its subsidiaries have been awarded tenders totalling more
than R1 billion. The investigation further covers contracts authorised during
the tenure of former Commissioner of Correctional Services Linda Mti. The
meeting between Mr Hofmeyer and Ms Schreiner also reflected on a number of
critical elements of the fight against fraud and corruption, including
disciplinary actions and criminal investigations against officials who had been
fingered in the probe. Meanwhile, in a further effort to stamp out corruption
within the department, Correctional Services Minister, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula,
last week announced the suspension of Commissioner Xoliswa Sibeko. The
department, in conjunction with the Department of Public Service and
Administration, is investigating the conduct of Ms Sibeko who was said to have
been renting an expensive residence at the expense of the tax payer. A report in
that regard is expected in two weeks time.
May 3, 2009 The Times
Public safety is under “serious threat” after delays by the Department of
Correctional Services in implementing a back-up plan to replace hundreds of
private security staff at prisons. Sondolo IT, which has provided electronic
security at 66 prisons around the country since 2006, withdrew staff who had
been manning 72 control rooms at 6am on Friday morning, when its contract with
the department officially ended. Sondolo IT, which runs the surveillance systems
at among others, Pretoria Central Prison, Johannesburg Prison, Cape Town’s
Pollsmoor Prison and Durban-Westville Prison, on Tuesday submitted a
comprehensive risk assessment report to the department ahead of its withdrawal.
It warned that prison security could be breached and not detected as all
prison-based control centres, five regional ones and one national system would
no longer be staffed. Furthermore this could: Require an already burdened
correctional services to deploy more staff in problem areas; Result in mass
escapes as prisoners took advantage of the lack of surveillance; and Lead to
collusion between warders and inmates, especially with regard to the smuggling
of contraband as the parties became aware that they were no longer being
monitored. Correctional services spokesman Manelisi Wolela yesterday admitted
that the department had failed to put in place adequate alternatives. “We do
acknowledge that we could have managed this contract better so that by the end
of it we could have put our own internal capacity (in place),” Wolela said. But
he added that the electronic system was but one security measure and that other
security systems were in place. Sondolo IT spokesman Papa Leshabane said there
had not been any response from the department to the risk assessment report that
it had provided. “It is a serious security threat,” he said, adding that the
lack of an efficient surveillance system would lead to “ security breaches, such
as escapes and the movement of contraband”. Sondolo IT was awarded the tender to
supply an integrated security system, which includes 96km of fencing and 1200
detectors in 47 prisons. The company had been in charge of monitoring 1850
cameras, 850 biometric readers, and handling 600 metal detectors and 640 access
control systems. Leshabane said the staff handling the equipment required
training which could take between three and six months. To date, the company has
only “appraised” about 500 correctional services employees — mainly senior
managers — about the system. No training had been done, but they had been given
an “overview” of the system functions, Leshabane said. Wolela said the
department was now relying on stepping up personal security as a contingency
plan. “In some regions we are getting people who have got capacity or potential
to learn to manage the control centres,” he said. He added that the department
had advertised more than 600 posts for the management of the control centres and
was hoping to conclude the recruitment drive by June.
Kutama Sinthumule Correctional
Centre
Makhado, Limpopo
GEO Group (formerly known as Wackenhut Corrections)
December 17, 2009 Sowetan
THE management of the Sinthumule-Kutama Private Prison in Louis Trichardt is
in the spotlight over the escape of two dangerous prisoners. The police said the
two prisoners escaped on Tuesday morning and no valid explanation of how they
escaped has been given. The two, Johannes Khoza, 30, and Esho Naibe, 24, both
from Zimbabwe, were convicted of different crimes ranging from murder, rape,
robbery and housebreaking to indecent assault. Makhado police spokesperson
Captain Maano Sadike said they had launched a manhunt while investigating the
escape of the two prisoners. Khoza was convicted of murder and robbery in April
2006, while Naibe was serving a jail term for rape, housebreaking and indecent
assault. It is alleged that the two used a saw to cut through the burglar bars
and escape through the electric and barbed wire fence. The prison authorities
said they suspected the escapees used a saw but also indicated they were still
waiting for the surveillance report from camera operators. Head of prison
security Nyiko Mathebula denied allegations that the security system in the
prison was weak since they failed to detect the escape. “We hope the report will
detail what really happened ,” he said. The police said their manhunt was still
under way and they appealed to those who know the suspects to help them.
December 16, 2009 The Zimdiaspora
A 40-year-old Zimbabwean man is one of two prisoners who escaped from South
Africa’s Kutama Sinthumule Correctional Centre Tuesday morning, the department
of Correctional Services revealed today. Manelisi Wolela, the department’s
spokesperson, said in a statement released this morning that Chico Naibe, a
Zimbabwean national and Johannes Antonnio Khoza (29) were the two “dangerous
criminals” that escaped from Correctional Centre during the early hours of
Tuesday morning, adding that a massive manhunt was already underway to nab the
duo, who were serving life sentences. “The two were serving life sentences for a
range of violent crimes including murder, armed robbery and rape,” said Wolela.
The management of the prison, which is located in South Africa’s northern
province of Limpopo, reported that the offenders apparently sew burglar bars and
used clothing to jump over the high perimeter fence. “The Department of
Correctional Services is appealing to members of the public to cooperate with
law enforcement agencies in efforts to bring the escapees back to lawful
custody,” added Wolela. “Members of the public are however warned not to try to
apprehend the fugitives as they are considered extremely dangerous. “The public
should contact the SAPS's emergency number 10111 or contact the police's lead
investigator on this matter, Captain Sudiki 082 565 8233.” Wolela said that the
Department of Correctional Services had instituted an urgent investigation that
must be concluded within two weeks to establish circumstances that led to the
escape. “Subject to the findings, the Department may institute penalties in line
with the contractual obligations on contractors managing privately run
correctional centres. The penalties are aimed at discouraging security lapses in
the privately run correctional centres.”
May 24, 2006 Cape Times
Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour wants another remission of
sentence for petty criminals, but says a decision is ultimately the president's
prerogative. A presidential decree in 2005 saw 30 000 prisoners released from
jails countrywide. But he was also critical about public/private prisons which
he accused of being run "as if they are fiefdoms". The proposed public finance
model prisons was a better option than the public private prisons which Balfour
said racked up huge costs to run.
April 5, 2006 SABC News
About 12 nursing staff of the Kutama-Sinthumule private prison in Limpopo are
staying away from work saying they don't feel safe in the prison. They have
joined about 200 striking warders in the labour action. The labour withdrawal by
the nurses comes as the Provincial Parliament Portfolio Committee on Safety and
Security meets to discuss the safety of prisoners. The striking warders are
continuing to protest 500m away from the prison. A minimum number of warders
resumed for duty this morning after an appeal by management for them to come
back to work. The other striking warders say they will continue their stoppage
until their demands are addressed. The Parliament Portfolio Committee on Safety
and Security is still locked in a meeting with prison management in a bid to
ensure safety of prisoners and the surrounding community.
March 31, 2006 SABC News
More than 200 striking prison warders at the Kutama Sinthumule private
prison outside Makhado in Limpopo say they won't return to work until they
receive outstanding salary allowances. The protest follows yesterday's
resolutions between the workers union, Police and Prison Civil Rights Union (Popcru),
and management. Late yesterday, the parties agreed that workers would resume
their duties pending the arbitration process. The workers are unhappy about
their housing and danger allowances. They say these have not been paid to them
since 2002. They say management must pay them these allowances before they can
resume their duties.
March 1, 2006 Mail & Guardian
Order has returned to the privately owned Kutama Sinthumule Correctional Centre
in Makhado, Limpopo, a spokesperson said on Wednesday -- this after a strike by
prison officials led to the death of a 37-year-old inmate and the injury of
another. South African Custodial Management MD Stephen Korabie said the
Department of Correctional Services and the police were called in on Tuesday
night to help manage the situation. Limpopo police spokesperson Superintendent
Ailwei Mushavhanamadi said prisoners also went on strike and rubber bullets were
fired to stop them running away at 9.45pm. "Extensive damage was caused to one
of the four units of the centre that accommodates approximately 1 152
maximum-category offenders," said Korabie. He said plans were being made to find
alternative accommodation for about 800 prisoners while the damaged unit was
being restored. Korabie said the Department of Correctional Services had loaned
the centre some staff to help provide basic custodial and security functions,
pending the settlement of the dispute with the warders.
Mangaung Maximum
Security Prison
Bloemfontein, South Africa
Group 4
January 20, 2010 Sowetan
AUTHORITIES at the Mangaung Private Prison outside Bloemfontein have sent
samples of food for forensic testing after five prisoners landed in hospital
with food poisoning. The prisoners who were admitted to the local hospital have
since being discharged. The incident happened last week when four prisoners
reported ill after lunch, according to Mangaung Correctional Centre deputy
controller MC Motsapi. Motsapi said 281 inmates were treated for runny stomachs.
“Five out of 281 prisoners were admitted to hospital but their condition was
stable. No new cases have so far been reported,” Motsapi said. The prison is one
of three private prisons in the country. The contract to run Mangaung Private
Prison was granted to GS4 Care and Justice Service. GS4 spokesperson Leana
Goosen confirmed the incident but said things had returned to normal. She said
the food consignment of the day was being tested.
September 25, 2009 IOL
Nine prisoners at the Mangaung maximum security prison in Bloemfontein damaged
furniture and a building on Friday for unknown reasons, police said. Inspector
Harry Nagel said the group of men locked themselves in a "school building" on
the grounds and started to break and damage chairs, tables, computers and the
building's bulletproof windows. "The building also sustained water and smoke
damage." Nagel said the prisoners were armed with picks, spades, garden forks
and screwdrivers. Police were called in and they negotiated with the men to come
out. "As the men started to surrender they were handed to the private prison
authorities," said Nagel. Police said one of the prisoners was apparently
slightly injured. Nagel said the reason for the incident was not immediately
known. It started around 1pm and lasted for three hours.
August 18, 2003
South Africa's private prisons and maximum security prisons have turned out to
be an enormous waste of money, energy and time. These are some of the
findings made by University of the Western Cape Professor Julia Sloth-Nielsen,
whose overview of policy developments in the Department of Correctional Services
was published recently as part of the Civil Society Prison Reform Initiative's
series of research papers. Sloth-Nielsen has called for an investigation
similar to that into the arms deal regarding the tender process for existing
private prisons. "The reason for prison privatisation was mainly cost
based," she said. Privatisation, however, was costing the Department
of Correctional Services much more than it had bargained for. In 2001/2002
it was projected that by 2004/2005 the existing projects (those deemed viable by
a prisons task team) would cost the department R538-million - up from
projections of R143-million in 2001/2002. "The department agreed that
the decision had been unwise, and that Treasury had at the time advised against
the transaction. "The decision to undertake the private prisons
projects was, however, a political one, according to the departmental
spokesperson." The official position currently appeared to be that no
more private prisons would be contemplated because of the inordinate and
unforeseen expense. Sloth-Nielsen said the concept of C-Max prisons was
introduced at a time when the Department of Correctional Services was
characterised by the influence of American ideas in the penal sphere. The
intention was originally to create more of these facilities, she said, but this
was put on the backburner during 2001 because it had turned out to be "a
cost-intensive exercise". According to Sloth-Nielsen, the new prison
for "bad eggs", Supermax near Kokstad, was an even more lasting
testimony to the influence of American penal philosophy and practice.
"No impact analysis or land survey was done, which explains why the
facility has been built without a kitchen - the site is too steep to transport
food in the normal manner. "It cost R360-million to build - 155% more
than budgeted for." Supermax - reserved for high-risk prisoners - was
a "veritable Robben Island on land" in terms of its inaccessibility
for family visits. In addition, the department had not been able to find
enough "bad eggs" to fill the prison. Now the department
envisaged a series of "new generation prisons" for medium and low-risk
prisoners. Four would be built within the next two years. Construction
would rely on local resources; empowerment and security would be people centred
and not technology based, Sloth-Nielsen added. They would be strategically
placed in areas most affected by overcrowding. The focus would be on
rehabilitation. (The Star)
August 4, 2003
A PROFESSOR of law has called for an arms deal-like investigation into the
awarding of contracts for private prisons. Professor Julia Sloth-Nielsen
of the University of the Western Cape said that the Department of Correctional
Services had admitted "impropriety" in the privatisation process yet
nothing had been done about it. She made these claims in a research
document presented at a seminar in Cape Town on Thursday. "If this
matter is not being taken up by any other investigative authority . . . this
should be a priority of the [Parliamentary Portfolio] Committee in the same way
as the arms investigation has been dealt with," she said. In the
document Sloth-Nielsen says: Initially seven contracts for private prisons
were announced, but only two have been constructed, Mangaung Maximum Security
Prison in Bloemfontein, contracted to a UK-based consortium, and the maximum
security prison in Louis Trichardt in Limpopo; The process of awarding these
contracts was hasty, with the first five tenders awarded months before the
legislation was tabled in Parliament; and The Department of Correctional
Services itself had noted, "with some acrimony", that the people
involved in the project design, contract-drafting and negotiations, had upped
and left soon afterwards - to take up senior positions in the companies that had
won the tenders. "Again, this gave rise to considerable suspicion about the
integrity of the process itself," said Sloth-Nielsen. A task team,
consisting of representatives of Correctional Services and the Treasury,
presented a report to Parliament in November last year about the financial
arrangements of private prisons. "For a start, the official view
appears to be that the contracts were awarded without proper homework having
been done," she said. The actual cost per prisoner a day at the
Bloemfontein private prison is R132.20, compared with R93.67 a day for prisoners
in state prisons. "A debate about the morality of housing 6 000
prisoners in the undeniable [comparative] luxury of uncrowded new facilities,
while 182 000 remaining prisoners are left to languish in cells where sleeping
by rote is the order of the day, is also required," said
Sloth-Nielsen. "If indeed state officials (or former state officials)
benefited materially from the privatisation processes, this must be
exposed." Department of Correctional Services spokesman Russel
Mamabolo said on Friday they needed more time to study the 58-page document
before they would comment. (Johannesburg)
March 4, 2003
The chairman of the South African Human Rights Commission visited the
privately-run Mangaung Maximum Security Prison outside Bloemfontein on Tuesday
to investigate alleged violations of prisoners' rights. SAHRC spokeswoman Phumla
Mthala said Jody Kollapen would interview individual prisoners and meet with
prison authorities on Tuesday morning. Mthala said the investigation followed
several complaints by prisoners to the SAHRC's Free State office about, among
other things, detention conditions at the prison. The first complaints were
received last year. The aim of the investigation was to look at detention
conditions and verify the authenticity of the alleged human rights violations,
Mthala said. Earlier on Tuesday Dr Motsoko Pheko, deputy president of the Pan
Africanist Congress (PAC) and Member of Parliament, told Sapa that he planned to
ask Correctional Services Minister Ben Skosana in Parliament about alleged gang
violence in Mangaung Prison. Pheko said he had received complaints from inmates
who feared for their lives due to gang violence in the prison. "When people
are punished and sent to prison by court, they should be allowed to serve their
sentences without putting their lives at risk," Pheko said. According to
Pheko, the murder of a Mangaung Prison inmate last week by a fellow inmate was
gang-related. Mangaung Prison is one of two private prisons in South Africa run
by the British based company Group 4. It has approximately 2928 inmates.
(South African Press Association)
February 27, 2003
An inmate of the privately-run Mangaung Maximum Security Prison outside
Bloemfontein died after an alleged assault by a fellow prisoner, the prison
confirmed on Thursday. The prison's managing director, Frikkie Venter, said the
deceased was allegedly assaulted in the prison late on Wednesday afternoon.
No
weapon was used in the attack. The injured prisoner was taken to the prison
hospital where he died while in a doctor's care. Venter said a team was already
investigating the incident. He was waiting for a report with full details.
Captain Ernest Mayiki spokesman for the Free State police confirmed that police
were investigating a case of murder. Venter expressed his condolences to the
family of the deceased. Mangaung Maximum Security, belonging to the company
Group Four, is one of two privately-managed correctional institutions in South
Africa. It is situated adjacent to the Department of Correctional Services'
Grootvlei Prison near Bloemfontein. Two convicts escaped from the prison on New
Year's Day. (South African Press Association)
January 1, 2003
Two reportedly dangerous convicts are at large after the first escape from a
privately-managed prison in South Africa on Wednesday. The prisoners made
their daring escape around 1 pm while working out in the gym of the Maung
Maximum Correctional Facility near Bloemfontein, Department of Correctional
Services spokesman Russel Mamabolo told Sapa. Both men were regarded as
dangerous. Mamabolo said his department would conduct a thorough
investigation into the escape and expected a full report from the management
company that runs Maung Maximum, Group 4. Maung Maximum is one of only two
privately-managed correctional institutions in South Africa. The other is
near Louis Trichardt in limpopo. (South African Press Association)
May 2001
A youngster caught stealing three mangoes out of hunger, recently spent four
months awaiting trial in a Johannesburg prison due to bungling by justice
officials, the country's top independent prisons' inspector revealed on Friday.
"This boy was prepared to plead guilty. It is obvious the magistrate
and prosecutor were not doing their job properly," Judge Johannes Fagan
told guests visiting the new Mangaung Maximum Security Prison outside
Bloemfontein. He blamed prison overcrowding on inept justice officials who
fail to process cases speedily. According to statistics from the
Department of Correctional Services, the country's 236 prisons, with an
accommodation capacity of 102, 048 was housing about 170,168 inmates by the end
of February. Nearly a third of these, or about 64,000 individuals, were
awaiting trial, Fagan said. (News 24, South Africa)
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