Expected Freedom Day prisoner release doesn’t materialise

For thousands of awaiting-trial inmates, President Cyril Ramaphosa unfortunately came bearing an empty Freedom Day gift box, following a seemingly confusing news report that he would set free some prisoners as part of the country’s measures to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Prisoners’ rights activist, Golden Miles Bhudu, said inmates who had suspended their hunger strike campaign in anticipation of the president’s supposedly imminent announcement have been shattered.

The Inspecting Judge of the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS), Justice Edwin Cameron, and other organisations have written to Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola, requesting him to release some inmates to alleviate overcrowding in prisons to curb the spread of Covid-19. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has also called on governments to reduce prison populations to prevent the uncontrollable outbreak of coronavirus.

Just hours before Ramaphosa delivered his Freedom Day speech on Monday, Radio 702’s Eyewitness News “revealed” that he would announce the release of awaiting trial inmates for “soft crimes” and nonviolent offenders eligible for parole, among others.

This comes in the backdrop of some of the country’s prisoners going on a hunger strike to put pressure on government to release nonviolent, terminally ill, first-time offenders, and elderly prisoners.

“There were high expectations among the affected prison population after the reports. I also informed other qualifying prisoners after I learnt of the release and now they are calling me demanding answers,” Bhudu said.

He said the plan was now to intensify their hunger strike campaign, skipping a meal a day and that this was done in this way to avoid prison officials knowing which meal they will skip.

“To be officially regarded as being on a hunger strike, one must not have eaten for over seven days. Our strategy is to skip a meal but we are doing it in such a way that prison authorities continue cooking without knowing which meal we will skip,” Bhudu said.

On Monday afternoon a government source said it was still possible that the awaiting trial inmates would be released, and that this could still be announced later by Lamola.

“There is no smoke without fire…it could be that the information (about the release) was leaked prematurely, at discussion stage,” the source said.

Lamola’s spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri, refused to be drawn into the matter.

The Correctional Services has recorded a total of 129 Covid-19 cases by Monday, for both inmates and officials.  The Eastern Cape province is leading with the most cases with 35 officials and 56 inmates infected, followed by Western Cape with 31 officials and one inmate infected.

“Containment and treating is under way in the Western Cape as positive cases continue to increase,” spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said.

– siphom@citizen.co.za

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