More fatalities at Kutama Sinthumule prison, says Lamola

The number of fatalities at the privately-run Kutama Sinthumule prison in Limpopo has risen to four, after three more fatalities were recorded. 

“The causes are not yet known as we are still waiting for post-mortem results,” justice and correctional services minister Ronald Lamola said on Thursday. 

Lamola was providing an update after his visit to the private facility in Makhado on Thursday, after some of the prison’s buildings were damaged by fire last week. 

“We are now at a critical phase of finalising the assessment and mop-up operations after the fire gutted this facility,” Lamola said. 

He said specialists were working around the clock to quantify the costs related to the damage and the timelines in terms of getting the facility back into full operation. He said getting the facility back into operation was the responsibility of the operator, South African Custodial Management. 

Lamola said before the fire, the facility had capacity to house 3,024 inmates classified as high risk. The fire forced the facility to transfer its inmates to other prisons. 

Lamola said there were 588 inmates at the facility and 170 are due to be transferred to other facilities by Friday, leaving the facility with 418 inmates. 

“As of Wednesday, 2,436 inmates have been transferred to various centres across the country. Invariably, we have seen a sharp increase in the rates of overcrowding in those facilities.” 

Lamola also gave an update on the number of inmates who have been released from prison after the special remission of sentences announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa last week, which will lead to the release of about 9,488 inmates. 

Lamola said 2,533 inmates have since ben released, and the majority, 1,876, were in the 26-64 age group. 

“We are encouraged by this process made at various centres. This will ensure that there is enough bed space to accommodate the offenders from this maximum facility in other centres.” 

TimesLIVE