TimesLIVE reports that the Public Servants Association (PSA) has condemned the violent incident at Oudtshoorn prison last week that resulted in the death of an inmate and left four correctional services officials injured.

The incident occurred on the morning of 7 August during routine unlock procedures. This followed a contraband search operation conducted the previous day, during which inmates resisted the confiscation of illicit items such as cellphones and narcotics. Department of Correctional Services (DCS) national commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale said the attack was premeditated. “The PSA strongly condemns this violence and reiterates the union’s long-standing concerns regarding the safety and wellbeing of correctional officials,” the union said.

The issue of severe staff shortages was raised during a bargaining chamber meeting with the DCS in June. “These shortages significantly increase the risks faced by correctional officers, particularly during high-risk operations. The DCS is experiencing a critical shortage of staff, primarily owing to insufficient funding from the National Treasury and a lack of adequate facilities to train new correctional officers,” the PSA stated. The union said it would be writing to the finance minister to reiterate its call for urgent prioritisation of funding to enable the DCS to recruit and train front-line personnel.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLIVE
• Read too, Urgent call for funding to address prison staffing shortages amid overcrowding crisis, at The Mercury

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