Dept clamps down after video shows unruly detainees brandish home-made knives

The department of correctional services says the remand detainees, who were seen in a video armed with self-made sharpened objects chanting and singing, will be dealt with “harshly”.

In a statement, the department said it was aware of the video making rounds on social media.

“This is an incident of 14 June 2020 at Butterworth correctional centre where the 34 remand detainees closed the cell door with beds and demanded that they be taken to court even though the court was closed due to confirmed Covid-19 cases.

“This can only be described as an act of hooliganism and thuggery, with utter disregard for authority. It becomes very disturbing when those remanded in custody display no respect for law as such acts can only perpetuate an intent to disobey laws of the country,” it said.

The department further said that such behaviour by remandees has no place in its facilities and the matter shall be dealt with harshly whenever it tries to rear its ugly head.

“Law abiding citizens continue to abide by the lockdown regulations and it can only be an affront when those in lawful custody demand that they be taken to a closed court.

“The situation on 14 June 2020 demanded that action be taken swiftly by correctional services and order was restored on the same day. Searching was also conducted in an effort to remove all contrabands.

“The ringleaders were identified and relocated as disciplinary action is being meted against all participants. It has to be re-emphasised that such criminal behaviour cannot be tolerated by the department, hence all 34 remand detainees will be spared no mercy,” it concluded.

VIDEO as received: This is inside a Correctional Facility in SA. @DOJCD_ZA pic.twitter.com/pOLE6jpCn6

— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) June 17, 2020

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.