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Warders stay away
03/01/2005 23:23 - (SA)
Carien du Plessis Port Elizabeth - A number of Eastern Cape prison warders fearing for their lives over the Christmas holidays decided to stay at home instead. Popcru chief secretary in the Eastern Cape, Tshaka Mdiya, said on Monday prisoners tried harder to escape over Christmas as they wanted to be with their families. As a result, it was a very dangerous time for prison staff. He said prison warders were already thin on the ground over normal weekends, which rendered them more vulnerable. He said Popcru would try to determine on Tuesday exactly how many warders stayed away from work. Mdiya he said although warders did not officially strike, Popcru had told them they had a right to remain home if they felt endangered at work. This was actually the case at several prisons. Winter Mdlangazi, spokesperson for the Eastern Cape department of correctional services, said the situation had returned to normal by Monday - thanks to the help of police officers and support groups. Prisons affected the most by the stay-away included Middeldrift, King William's Town, Grahamstown and Fort Beaufort. Superintendent Miranda Mills, for provincial police, said police officers had been deployed to some of these prisons to help distribute food and to help with the guarding of prisoners. ''Law and order has to be maintained at all costs. We cannot afford breakouts as it costs a lot of money in the first place to put prisoners in jail,'' she said. She said police resources were also limited and that police officers would not be available for an indefinite period of time. Mdiya said Popcru would call for a strike if the department of correctional services refused to meet their demands. Pat Ntsobi, Popcru's spokesperson, said the union wanted all suspended personnel throughout the country to be re-appointed. He said South African prisons needed at least 9 000 extra warders. |
