Cape Town - The Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS), the Department of Correctional Services and the SAPS are investigating the death of an inmate – allegedly at the hands of Drakenstein Prison warders – after “tit-for-tat” attacks.
A source said a group of five inmates armed with make-shift knives had stabbed and wounded four warders in the Drakenstein Prison on Wednesday, February 8.
The warders then rounded up the five prisoners and beat them with batons. The injured inmates were taken to hospital where one died.
The incident happened just as prison guards from the Brandvlei maximum prison in Worcester – Quinton de Wee, Sakhele Dondolo, Ebrahim May and Alson Setera – are appearing in court for the first time in eight years for allegedly setting dogs on and viciously beating to death Lubabalo Mzamo in January 2015.
The prison source said the department was trying to “cover up” the recent “tit-for-tat” attack that led to the death in Drakenstein, as it issued responses to the media that only reflected the knife attack, and not the murder, on the day of the incident and the days that followed.
Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo confirmed the death of convicted rapist Chibani Mgwamdla, 26, one of those who attacked the prison warders last week.
“We are aware of one inmate from the five that attacked officials having passed on in hospital on February 8. The cause of death has yet to be determined,” Nxumalo said.
Pressed on why the department didn’t mention the killing in media responses, Nxumalo said: “We responded to (media) enquiries received after the incident and at that point no death was reported as there was none. A death notice was only received later on in the day and we needed to inform the family.”
He had told media after the stabbings last week that “minimum force” had been used.
When asked what was meant by “minimum force”, he said: “There has to be harmony and mutual respect across all correctional centres. Section 32 (1) (b) of the Correctional Services Act allows for a minimum degree of force to be used and force must be proportionate to the objective.”
JCIS spokesperson Emerentia Cupido said the entity had launched an investigation into the matter.
“The case has been reported to the SAPS and the next of kin have been notified. The Department of Correctional Services has also launched an internal investigation,” Cupido said.
Police spokesperson Joseph Swaartbooi said police registered an inquest for further investigation. He said cops found the dead body of the man, “who sustained fatal injuries”, in a hospital.
Queried about the relationship between inmates and warders at the Drakenstein prison, Cupido said she could not speculate at this time but further details would unfold during the JICS investigation.
Golden Miles Bhudu, CEO of the South African Prisoners Organisation for Human Rights, criticised the way warders had handled the situation and described the government’s overall response as “listless”.
“Minimum force (means) you disarm the prisoners, subdue them and let the law take its course. But these guys give you the death sentence. They beat you to death. This isn’t the first or won’t be the last time,” he said.
He said the prisoners usually go on a rampage when they want to highlight prison violations and go to extremes to get their message heard as they have nothing to lose.
. Bhudu said Correctional Services doesn’t contribute to the funerals of those who die at the hands of prison officials.
The Sunday Tribune reported about the death of Mondli Khathi, allegedly at the hands of prison warders, in November at the Westville prison.
Bhudu shared an inquiry and Nxumalo’s responses, dated January this year, about another prisoner, Dumisani Ngwenya, who was killed at an unspecified prison.
In the texts, Nxumalo confirms Ngwenya’s passing and said: “(Ngwenya) was referred to an outside hospital following an incident involving him (Ngwenya) and another inmate as officials had to intervene in an attempt to separate them, thus putting an end to a brawl.”
Nxumalo said “minimum force” was used to separate the inmates and “upon being examined internally, the medical doctor transferred inmate Ngwenya to an outside facility for further treatment on December 9, 2022”.