Hunger strike at city jail

Some prisoners refuse to eat, listing alleged human rights violations

Some prisoners at the East London Maximum Prison have embarked on a hunger strike over an alleged violation of human rights at the facility.

The hunger strike comes after the inmates submitted a list of demands to prison bosses late last month, claiming that conditions at the facility made it almost impossible for offenders to be rehabilitated.

The inmates also demanded among many things to see the back of warders whom they accuse of abusing their power.

The South African Prisoners Organisation for Human Rights (Sapohr) has called for a national hunger strike in solidarity with the West Bank inmates.

Eastern Cape department of correctional services regional commissioner Noziphiwo Dumbela confirmed the strike on Tuesday but rubbished its reported magnitude.

“It’s not the entire prison population but just a few individuals who decided not to eat,” she said in an interview.

Dumbela denied that the strike had forced the national office of correctional service to commit extra guards to the facility after threats to burn the prison.

Sapohr national spokesperson Miles Bhudu said the inmates were on strike because authorities had reduced their November 7 memorandum into “toilet paper”.

The Sapohr claims that nine out of 10 released prisoners return to a life of crime due to what they term a lack of rehabilitation and recreational programmes.

The prisoners are complaining about:

● What they say are unqualified and unhygienic prison cooks;

● Being served food they claim is unhealthy;

● Guards allegedly torturing inmates;

● Sick inmates allegedly deprived medical treatment ; and

● The head of the centre allegedly running the prison “apartheid-style”.

An inmate, who did not want to be named for fear of victimisation, said they had had enough of what he said were poor conditions.

“The cooks are untrained and are filthy people. They don’t even bother washing and peeling vegetables.

“We eat carrot and potatoes with skin and the spinach is always covered in sand and grit”

However, Dumbela defended prison management, saying everything was done above board at the facility.

“We take issues of human rights very seriously. No rights are violated at the prison.”

Dumbela said cooks were being trained on the job with assistance of doctors and nurses.

She also denied inmates were deprived of treatment.

● In October, the Eastern Cape correctional services department launched an investigation after three inmates allegedly attacked and wounded a guard after a fight broke out between guards and inmates at the prison.