Thohoyandou correctional centres battle overcrowding
Thohoyandou correctional centres are facing severe overcrowding and mental health challenges, prompting calls for urgent intervention from authorities.
LIMPOPO – Overcrowding is limiting the department’s mission of detaining inmates in a humane manner, and is also a challenge that has come to the attention of the South African Human Rights Commission.
These were the words of acting area police commissioner in Thohoyandou, Rachel Kutama to Vhembe district commissioner Eddie van der Walt, senior prosecutor Nekhumbe Mashudu, and Vhonani Mbedzi from the Department of Home Affairs during a recent oversight visit to the Thohoyandou correctional centres.
Among other suggested solutions, she requested Home Affairs to, instead of bringing illegal immigrants to the centres, deport them immediately.
“The management area is currently sitting on 260 foreign nationals whose only crime was to contravene immigration laws,” said Kutama.
Intervention measures needed to be put in place as an interim measure, she requested.
Van der Walt agreed, saying the matter will immediately receive attention in collaboration with the relevant stakeholders, including police station commanders.
The outgoing head of correctional centre (HCC) of the Medium A Correctional Centre, Mishack Raedani furthermore highlighted that one of the other pertinent challenges, is that of mental health among inmates.
The centre, he said, simply does not have the capacity and knowledge to deal with those who are arrested and suffer from poor mental health. In many instances, communication is a big hurdle, he said.
During the tour, the head of the female and juvenile correctional centre, Munyadziwa Maumela took the team on a tour to the maximum section as well as the mother and infant section.
The head of the Medium B Correctional Centre, Patrick Makahane took the team on a visit to the cell of struggle icon Tshifhiwa Muofhe, the kitchen and the overcrowded cells, where there is an approved bed space of 225 and an inmate occupation of 655.
Senior prosecutor, Mashudu Nekhumbe said the NPA will assist the Department of Correctional Services with, among others, inmates who suffer from mental health issues, who will be referred for observation.
Home Affairs’ Mbedzi indicated that the department would assist in the matter of foreign nationals by collecting these inmates after they have served out their sentences.
