Taxpayers lose shirts over ‘strip’

Many people have made light of the “strip show” that took place at the Johannesburg Medium B Prison on June 21 as part of their “June Youth Month” commemorations.

Some took to social media, expressing outrage after originally thinking such an incident could only be fake news.

Sadly, it wasn’t fake news. One photograph that’s gone viral from “Sun City” at the weekend shows three women, wearing black bodysuits and boots, undressing an inmate clad in an orange uniform in the prison courtyard. In another photograph, a woman is seen embracing another inmate while warders look on.

A daily newspaper interviewed one of the women involved, who insisted she was not a stripper but a freelance professional dancer who works for well-known recording artists.

That’s not the problem. The main issue is security in South African jails and the question of how poorly taxpayers’ money is spent if these incidents are allowed.

It is also a slap in the face of victims of crime.

At least national commissioner of correctional services James Smalberger has taken the incident seriously, saying authorities were considering suspending 13 guards.

“We want to apologise to the citizens of South Africa for this incident, which is very disturbing.”

Talk is cheap. We wait to see what will happen to those responsible.