St Albans prison management has been accused of "laxity" in terms of implementing security operational procedures during last December's prison riot in which three inmates were killed and 13 warders injured.
That's according to the Deputy Minister of Correctional Services, Thabang Makwetla, who was at St Albans prison with the Correctional Services Commission, Zach Modise, and EC Provincial Commissioner, Nkosinathi Breakfast, to meet stakeholders on the outcome of an investigation into the incident.
Makwetla told the media that one of the lessons learned was the apparent "laxity of prison officials to search inmates" when moving them around for meals.
"When offenders are taken out of their cells in the morning there must a proper searching procedures. If those offenders on the 26th (Dec 2016) were searched, possibly that unfortunate incident would not have happened. There have been a number of incidences lately where these breaches that arises as a result of laxity on the part of those executing these duties has been experienced," said Makwetla.
"The other lesson from the event is that management of our Correctional Centres is not dealing with easy challenges. It is only after the event that there is wisdom to appreciate that they should have opted for a different approach," he added.
Deputy Minister Makwetla said the offenders who got involved in stabbing officials were put in two dedicated cells because of their problematic conduct and their involevment in gang activities.
"Management thought they were controlling a situation that was getting out of hand but the way they went about it they actually exacerbated it. It's a lesson that it is not an advisable way to deal with challenges like that by creating dedicated cells and putting problematic offenders aside there."
In sharing some of the report's recommendations, Deputy Minister Makwetla, said "cell 22 and cell 23 as they were dedicated cells must be closed down and that has already been done. Secondly there was also a recommendation that some of our officials in key areas of responsibility that this occurred under must be moved as a matter of dealing with this situation," said Deputy Minister Makwetla.
