Westville prisoners make masks for fellow inmates
In the 10 days after they started, a total of 10 110 masks were made.
WHEN the president announced level 4 of the lockdown, Westville Prison decided to use the opportunity to make masks for the prisoners.
The women prisoners sew the inmates overalls at the prison textile workshop, and this was seen as the obvious and perfect place to sew these masks.
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In the 10 days after they started, Westville Prison communications officer, Mfanafuthi Shange, said a total of 10 110 masks were made.
“The target is 1200 a day,” he said.
Shange said they are using the fabric used to make the overalls to make these masks.
“It was announced that from 1 May, no one was supposed to be seen out in public without a mask so that was the main motivation.
“We have 4 623 prisoners awaiting trial and 4 286 have been sentenced. Each inmate has received two masks. This is our way of trying to curb the outbreak of this pandemic. We also have sanitisers all around,” explained Shange.
He said there is more than enough masks and sanitisers to accommodate the daily admissions.
“Even the other prisons around KZN are ordering masks from us.”
Shange said other special masks, with a different fabric, have been made for prisoners who are released on the Covid-19 special parole.
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