Glencoe prison to reopen after devastating 2015 fire
The 17 cells that were never affected by the fire are to be used again.
The 17 cells that were never affected by the Glencoe Prison fire are to be used again. Picture: Northern KwaZulu-Natal fire
Life is returning to the Glencoe prison that was closed down following the devastating fire of May 2015, reports the Northern KwaZulu-Natal Courier.
The inferno destroyed most of the complex and the transferral of prisoners and warders to other facilities impacted heavily on Glencoe, which had become reliant on correctional services to sustain the economy of the town.
The 17 cells that were never affected by the fire are to be used again, and around 91 inmates will be returning to the Glencoe Prison.
Thulani Mdluli, correctional services spokesperson, said the department did not have any dedicated funds specifically for emergency infrastructure repairs, such as facilities damaged as a result of the fire, and has to utilise funds within its existing budget allocation in order to deal with any form of damage or destruction.
This is in spite of assurances by the ministry of public works at the time that the “prison will be rebuilt by the end of November 2015”.
“The public must be reminded once again that it was not the entire Glencoe Correctional Centre that was destroyed by fire in 2015, but part of the facility,” Mdluli said.
– Caxton News Service
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