Durban prison inmate hospitalised after stabbing incident

Inmate at Durban Westville Correctional Centre have been hospitalised after a dispute led to a fight.

According to the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) an offender stabbed another inmate on Sunday during a fight.

The spokesperson for the department, Thulani Mdluli, explained that Sunday’s incident happened when offenders were outside their cells, waiting for breakfast.

He further explained that the offender stabbed the other with a sharpened object.

“The Emergency Support Team (EST) and Dog Unit team were quick to disarm the perpetrator and two others, who were part of the incident.

“In the process of disarming offenders using minimum force, five offenders, including the victim, sustained injuries and have been transferred to an external hospital for medical attention as stated by the Correctional Services Amendment Act, No 32 of 2001 under Section C.

“After the incident, the process of serving breakfast continued as usual and regular working conditions were recuperated,” Mdluli said.

He was baffled that despite not allowing visitors into the centre “yet there are weapons found inside centres”.

He said the offenders involved in the incident will be degraded and transferred to eBongweni Maximum Centre and other maximum facilities outside the region.

Mandla Mkabela, the chief operations commissioner condemned the incident and said internal investigations will be carried out.

“We will continue to uphold our centres as theatres of operations, not as war zones, because we have to focus on providing the best correctional services for a safer South Africa,” he added.