The Department of Correctional Services has warned of consequences for the ringleaders behind an incident at St Albans Correctional Centre in Port Elizabeth where awaiting trial prisoners set fire to their prison uniforms.
Spokesperson, Singabhako Nxumalo, said the incident on Tuesday followed demands by the inmates for cigarettes and also to be taken to court for their cases to be heard.
He said officials explained to them that the sale of cigarettes is prohibited under Level 4 lockdown regulations while courts administer their own rolls and issue dates for all those awaiting trial inmates whose cases were remanded.
Nxumalo said once they realised that their demands were not going to be met they set fire to their clothes and tossed the burning items out of the cell windows.
He said the situation was contained without the need to use force and the burning items were extinguished.
Nxumalo warned though that the ringleaders would face the consequences.
