The correctional official in the video and her colleague, who allowed her office to be used for the sexual act, were both dismissed. The inmate involved was also not spared any mercy as he has been reclassified into Maximum category, lost privileges and moved to another facility.
THE PRISON warder in the infamous sex romp video and her accomplice, who allowed her to use her office, were both fired and the inmate was reclassified into maximum category, lost his privileges and was moved to another facility.
However, prisoner organisations differed on the punishment.
Last month, the video of a sexual rendezvous between a warder and an inmate at the Ncome Correctional Facility in Vryheid, northern KwaZulu-Natal, went viral on social media.
Department of Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said: “The correctional official in the video and her colleague, who allowed her office to be used for the sexual act, were both dismissed. This outcome emanates from a disciplinary process that was instituted following the unfortunate incident.
“The inmate involved was also not spared any mercy as he has been reclassified into maximum category, lost privileges and moved to another facility.”
Nxumalo said the department wanted to reiterate that coitus acts and other forms of sexual attachment or illicit romance between officials and inmates could never be allowed nor tolerated.
“The code of conduct was explicit in this regard, and those found to have breached this barrier shall face the consequences. The department will not hesitate to act against any form of transgressions.”
He said correctional officials should be exemplary not only to inmates but in society in general.
Derrick Mdluli, chairperson of the Justice for Prisoners and Detainees Trust for Human Rights, said: “A prisoner is in the hands of the prison. If a prisoner has access to move around the prison and go to the offices and meet whoever and do whatever, I don’t think the prisoner should be punished because of the carelessness and negligence of the prison that allowed that to happen.”
“They made the right decision in firing the warder because she’s supposed to watch over prisoners and maintain her dignity as a warder.”
Mdluli said he was not condoning their actions but the inmate’s marks for good behaviour would probably be taken away and his points would also be removed.
He would also have to restart his programmes again in the new prison.
Golden Miles Bhudu of the SA Prisoners Organisation for Human Rights said the department should have investigated the causes and made sure that similar incidents did not happen in future.
Bhudu said those involved had to suffer the consequences of their actions, but he said it was sad that the warder was fired.
“Demoting him (prisoner) from being an A group to a C group is fine but he will have to work his way up and make sure that it doesn’t happen again,” said Bhudu.
He said if the department added more years to the inmate’s sentence, they would make a noise about it.
Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) provincial secretary Nthabeleng Molefe said: “The integration of males and females in correctional services needs management to have awareness campaigns on a yearly basis in ensuring that members are reminded of the things that can put their lives in danger, together with the lives of the inmates.”
Daily News
