Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola says he’s confident that the department will be able to meet the August 10 deadline to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to over 8 000 inmates and personnel per day as set by health authorities.
The department launched its vaccination roll out program at Sun City Correctional Facility in Johannesburg.
Lamola, who officially launched the vaccination program, says the department will work against time to meet the August deadline.
“We are very confident because the officials and inmates are coming forward in numbers. The numbers are trickling as you can see. Which encourages us that we would be able to to reach the deadline. If we can vaccinate about 8 000 people per day then we would be able to meet the deadline that’s being set by the Department of Health.”
Minister of @Min_JCS, Ronald Lamola, received his COVID-19 jab today at Johannesburg Correctional Centre. The minister encourages everyone to go go and get their COVID-19 vaccine. #VaccineRollOutSA pic.twitter.com/irw9Xjxwpg
— Johannesburg Health District (@Healthjhb) July 20, 2021
The vaccination will take place daily with inmates and personnel to be inoculated with the single dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine.
This is how some of them responded after being vaccinated.
“I think like everybody, you have anxiety. If you don’t I don’t think you’re normal. But at the end of the day is the peace that you have of knowing that you’re doing the right thing. It helps and now my anxiety is gone. I am thankful and excited,” says one inmate.
“Yeah, we were given a choice, it was not forced on us. We got all the information about it first. So myself, my family and I opted into it,” adds another inmate.
Acting Health Minister Mamoloko Kubayi is also optimistic that this partnership between the two departments will meet the intended targets and deadline.
“This program today shows aims at making vaccine accessible to all those South Africans without having to matter where they are. What we are saying is that we have a partnership which working very well. But we have to remember that we’ve a target.”
Parole system
Lamola refuted claims that the parole system was too slow and commended officials for working hard to contain outbreaks at facilities.
Over 14 000 inmates have been released on parole since last year.
“We have already done what is called special parole dispensation for COVID-19. And we’ve released a huge number of inmates, over 14 000 of them. They’re managed under community corrections. So what we are embarking on now is the vaccination of all inmates across the country. Those that are on parole can also vaccinate through the community where they stay because they have IDs and so forth.”
Meanwhile, Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru), as well as South African Prisoners’ Organisation for Human Right (SAPHOR), say the vaccination roll out has come far too late.
To date over 291 Correctional Services officials and 85 inmates have died from COVID-19.
