MASUTHA MUST TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEATH OF DCS OFFICIAL

The brutal killing of a female Correctional Services official at Goedemoed Prison in the Free State must be blamed squarely on severe staff shortage.

Shortage of staff is the biggest problem facing the DCS and forever puts the lives of the DCS officials in danger. The Minister of Correctional Services and Justice, Micheal Masutha and his Department are ignoring this problem and turning a blind eye to it.

Congress of the People received the sad news of the passing of one female official who was allegedly stabbed by an inmate; and another official was held hostage in an office at the Centre.

It is quite clear that the Department of Correctional Services does not care about the lives of the DCS officials, they are more interested in corruption, giving Bosasa illegal contracts and refusing to recruit more staff. This is totally unacceptable and we condemned it with contempt it deserves. 

Minister Masutha must take full responsibility for the death of this official, because he ignored the plight of his officials who in many occasions raised the problem of staff shortages in the Department. 

COPE calls upon President Cyril Ramaphosa to institute an urgent investigation into the Official's death, the circumstances surrounding it and what led to the hostage incident at Goedemoed Centre. 

We must also get to the bottom of the problem of understaffing in the DCS. 

COPE shall not rest until we know the truth, and we shall follow the conclusion of this investigation  to its finality. .... END-

Statement issued by Congress of the People Secretary of Communications and GP Premier Candidate, Dennis Bloem, 30 March 2019