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Heads must roll over transgressions at Leeuwkop Prison

Correctional Services Deputy Minister, Thabang Makwetla
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Correctional Services Deputy Minister, Thabang Makwetla says heads must roll over the transgressions that are happening at the Leeuwkop Prison in Johannesburg.

During an unannounced visit to the facility on Thursday, departmental officials, led by the Deputy Minister, discovered that an inmate was making prison warders’ uniforms in his cell.

He was found in possession of needles, scissors and razor blades he uses for sowing. They also found other contraband including mobile phones in various cells.

Makwetla says these incidents must be thoroughly investigated: “Management eyes were popping they could not understand why that uniform would have been inside there. I would imagine it is one of the things that they are interested management here of this unit. I instructed them to establish immediately what actually is behind that.”

With its festive season safety ‘Vala’ campaign, the department has been raiding correctional centres.

The Deputy Minister also says dagga and the smuggling of cellphones are rife at the facility.

“The amount of dagga business here, the market is very active. Smuggling of cellphones inside this correctional centre is also very rife. They are brought in by the members of the public who are given the privilege to visit their relatives. Some of them are off course brought in by our own employees because it is business for them. They are able to get money by providing some of these things that inmates need.”

Makwetla believes some of the cellphones that are found in prison cells were being used to commit crime outside.

He also expressed concern over the number of incidents where prisoners attempted to commit suicide in various prisons across the country.

“We are going to have a look at the capacity of social workers that the department is functioning with, meaning access to social workers by inmates.”

More unannounced visits to various prisons are expected across the country.

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