All 3000 inmates at Kutama-Sinthumule to be moved

The Inmates at Kutama-Sinthumule maximum prison in Makhado, Limpopo will be moved to other prisons. This was revealed by the Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola during a media briefing on Tuesday.

The Minister, accompanied by prison officials and other senior government officials, visited the prison. This follows a fire that broke out on Monday which caused panic.
It turns out the fire was started by prisoners in protest of some of the policies of the prison management. They raised grievances on the issue of prison transfers amongst others.

ALSO READ: EXPLAINED: Why inmates burnt the Kutama-Sinthumule prison

Lamola has since revealed that the department has already begun the process of moving prisoners and it could take up to two weeks to finish the process.

“There are some that are already evacuated and as we speak they are on their way to various prisons across the country. But you would understand that a huge number of 3000 can’t be transported at a go. It will be an operation that will take some time maybe until Friday or it may take even two weeks or so. We will on a day-to-day basis transfer them across the country.

SITUATION UNDER CONTROL AS PRISONERS ARE MOVED

“The situation is under control. The officials of DCS and the Police have helped the situation to be under control,” said Lamola.

There is no one who has escaped even when the situation was violent last night. All efforts were made to ensure that no one escaped and that is the intention even now every effort is put to ensure that no one escapes until they are relocated to wherever they are going.

“That’s why you see that even the transport that is carrying them is under heavy guards. There is no one who can take a chance along the road that they are traveling.”