Two cars attached to pay guard
Two Eastern Cape correctional services cars have been attached after the prison authority failed to pay a prison guard R87,200.
This after prison guard Phumelele Ngcibi successfully challenged a decision to move him to another prison, while serious allegations of misconduct were investigated against him and five others.
On Thursday, acting correctional services provincial commissioner Noziphiwo Dumbela said this was done so that they would not “interfere with the investigation”.
But the Middledrift magistrate’s court on Wednesday ruled in favour of Ngcibi. He and five of his colleagues were probed for allegedly smuggling a hand grenade, knives and drugs to inmates in 2011. The outcome of the probe could not be established at time of writing. Dumbela confirmed Ngcibi had sued her department “for an undisclosed amount of money”.
However, a source close to the developments told the Dispatch on Thursday that Ngcibi had sued the state for R80,000, which had also accrued R7,200 interest.
Dumbela said Ngcibi claimed his transfer had caused him psychological trauma.
Dumbela said this was after the guards were placed at other provincial prisons pending the finalisation of the investigation.
Dumbela said the department lost a 2011 Renault Logan and 2014 Ford Fiesta which were used at Middledrift prison, due to failure by the office of the state attorney to hire a lawyer to defend them.
“…the office of the state attorney has a duty to ensure that we get legal representation. This is a matter that is under investigation.” The office of the state attorney could not be contacted at the time of writing.
The Dispatch called the Middledrift prison and was told Ngcibi was on duty and was not allowed to use a phone.