Prisoners demand luxuries

A GROUP of inmates at a North West prison have been returned to their old “unsuitable” cells just three days before their case is to be heard in court today.

For almost two years they were housed near the facility’s entrance.

The 15 inmates at the Rooigrond Correctional Centre near Mahikeng were locked up at the main entrance in Medium A since 2014 after complaining about their living conditions. They wanted their individual prison cells to have running water, functioning toilets and television sets. They also complained about unstable electricity that was making it difficult for them to study.

According to their document of complaints filed at the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria dated June 27, the prison’s head, Ellen Kheswa, told them that due to a situation beyond her control she could not afford to provide them with taps for cold and hot water.

She added that she could not fix the toilets or provide each and every one of them with a TV set in their cells.

Kheswa had tried to satisfy their wish for a TV set, providing them with a set that was placed in the corridor and refrained from locking them up individually in their single cells and locked them up at the main entrance. The centre further provided them with two big dustbins to hold about 120 litres of cold water for washing and flushing the toilet.

In their head of arguments, the inmates said the centre appeared to be infringing on their right to further their education, right to inherent dignity and the right to have their dignity respected and protected.

They said they wanted an environment that was not harmful to their health and a TV set to keep abreast of current affairs.

They said they tried unsuccessfully to talk to Kheswa and to remind her that she had not remedied the situation that had led to the decision she took regarding their current living conditions.

They said being locked up at the main entrance since 2014 alleviated long-time problems, such as terminating their studies during power failures, as they were now able to access the electric distribution box situated within their corridor.

Kheswa referred questions to spokesman Opheliah Motloutsi, who promised to give a full report today.