Parliament says it will demand answers about the death of an inmate at Goodwood Prison in Cape Town.
Committee chairperson Kgomotso Ramolobeng visited the facility on Wednesday.
The surprise visit included the assessment of the prison’s hospital section, firearms and ammunition stores.
Ramolobeng said the committee sought to get clarity about a recent death of an inmate and other complaints.
CAUSE OF INMATE’S DEATH UNCLEAR
The MP said they received conflicting information about the circumstances surrounding the inmate’s death, which prison officials claimed was due to “natural causes”.
“We were informed that the inmate died of ‘natural’ causes, yet when we got to the medical section of the centre, we were told they are still awaiting the outcome of the autopsy. So, clearly it does not add up,” she said in a statement on Wednesday.
Ramolobeng said the committee also sought clarity about the death of an inmate who was allegedly beaten by prison officials.
Inmates who spoke to the MPs shared horrific accounts of prisoners who died after complaining of “stomach related conditions.”
The committee also investigated an alleged attempted suicide by a prison official after signing out a firearm which may have been issued unlawfully.
Ramolobeng said a review of the firearm register showed that the signature did not match.
“This obviously raises red flags about the truthfulness of the information before us. The intel we received is that the firearm use was not authorised or registered. This is definitely a matter that needs further investigation,” Ramolobeng said.
