The process of identifying inmates to be released from prisons across the country has begun.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announced that 19 000 inmates will be released to deal with overcrowding in prisons and allow authorities a chance to better control the spread of the virus.
The Department of Correctional Services has embarked on a mass testing programme at prisons across the country.
This as the number of infections continues to rise with 571 cases being registered amongst prison officers and inmates nationwide.
The majority of the latest number comes from the East London Maximum Security centre.
Department spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo says, “We are only talking about low risk inmates. So its people who may have committed petty offenses or offenses which don’t really carry a serious jail term. The race is on now, officials are working in terms of putting together those profiles. so that the parole board can consider them.”
“What remains important is that we’ve got to follow parole consideration processes to the [end]. We also need to give an opportunity to the victims of crime because they have a role to play. So that when these people [inmates] are placed out, they know under which circumstances [and] what are the conditions,” he adds.
Confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa
South Africa has surpassed the 1 000 mark in the number of new COVID-19 cases, recording 1 160 new cases in the last 24 hours, which brings the total confirmed cases to 15 515.
Three new coronavirus-related deaths have also been recorded.
The death toll in the country now stands at 264, as at 17 May.
The Western Cape continues to be the epicentre of the virus in the country accounting for 890 of the 1 160 new cases.
In this video, below SA COVID-19 cases rise by 1 160:
