The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases at South Africa’s Correctional Services Centres has risen to 111.
Eleven officials and one inmate have tested positive for the virus that has claimed 54 lives in the country.
According to the Department of Correctional Services, all the new cases emanate from the Worcester Correctional Facility in the Western Cape.
The department has reiterated its commitment to ensure that inmates and officials are safe.
Instigating inmates against state reckless
The news comes as the department is fending off a nationwide prison strike. The South African Prisoners Organisation for Human Rights (SAPOHR) had said prisoners were planning to go on strike, demanding an early release of some inmates to deal with overcrowding amid the growing fears over the spread of COVID-19 in jails.
But the Correctional Services Department has rejected this as mobilisation efforts to instigate inmates to revolt against the state. The department has described this as irresponsible and reckless.
“DCS is currently engaging with relevant law enforcement agencies to take necessary action,” says the statement.
The department says that following this incitement, inmates at Baviaanspoort Medium Correctional Centre in Gauteng, became disruptive, with one inmate lying on his back and refusing to move into his cell.
The Department of Correctional Services confirmed that the number of Covid-19 cases has increased by five, bringing the total number of officials with Covid-19 to 99. The five new cases is one in Limpopo Regional Office, two in East London and two in Worcester.
— SAfm news (@SAfmnews) April 18, 2020
Correctional officials had to use minimum force in order to bring about amity and order was restored.
“Reports of an inmate being shot at are only a fabrication as our officials do not utilise firearms inside the centres. Two inmates were treated for minor injuries by our Health Care officials and they are back in their cells. This incident has been reported accordingly to the relevant authorities and investigations are currently underway,” says the department.
It says it will continue embarking on random search and seizure operations across the country to confiscate contrabands from inmates and to ensure that rogue officials who aide the smuggling of those contrabands in its facilities are exposed and ultimately prosecuted.
“Our approach is focused on prevention, containment/treatment and disaster recovery. The Department activated Infection Prevention Control (IPC) measures at all management areas with specific directives to ensure that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is availed and has pushed for the sanitisation of reception areas, cells, offices, vehicles and ablution facilities,” says the department.
It says that there has been screening at its centres and supplies are being provided continuously, both for inmates and officials.
Only two centres in the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape, out of the country’s 243 correctional facilities, have confirmed COVID-19 cases for inmates. Fifty six inmates in East London have contracted the virus, while one has tested positive at a Western Cape prison.
In this video, 26 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed at East London Correctional Centre:
