Let hardened convicts produce their own food – FF Plus leader

Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald says criminals convicted of heinous crimes must do hard labour and made to produce their own food while in jail, so that they do not depend on taxpayers’ money for food.

He said his party therefore welcomed the call made by President Cyril Ramaphosa that those found guilty of crimes against women and children must do hard labour while in prison.

Ramaphosa, who has been championing the fight against gender-based violence since he attained power, had been advocating for those sentenced for life to serve their full sentence behind bars – with no option of parole.

The president, who passed his condolences to the family of the murdered Precious Ramabulana during his visit to their village in Makhado on Sunday, said the government would work to change the criminal justice system so that those convicted of crimes against women and children served their entire sentence, and experienced the harshest conditions in prison.

Groenewald, who was reacting to Ramaphosa’s statement, said the FF Plus agreed with Ramaphosa because the party had always supported the notion of hard labour for prisoners, particularly those who have been found guilty of more serious crimes.

“The FF Plus would like to see that all hardened criminals, not only those who are guilty of crimes against women and children, but also those who have committed other serious offences, like murder, rape and armed robbery, are not sent to prison to simply enjoy life there. They must do hard labour, like producing their own food, so that taxpayers do not have to cover the living expenses of thousands of heartless criminals who are living carefree in prison,” Groenewald said.

He said other preventative measures, like a comprehensive register for sex offenders, are indeed also important, but “what is even more important is that prisons should become places that once again instil fear and where true rehabilitation can take place”.

“It happens all too often that people who have committed serious offences commit the very same crimes again shortly after being released, and that rightly creates the impression that imprisonment serves no purpose when it comes to being a deterrent. The FF Plus will support any meaningful and feasible proposal to implement hard labour measures for certain categories of prisoners.”

He lamented the “unacceptably high rate of crime” in the country, particularly incidents of serious violent crimes, saying this created the impression that criminals have no respect for the country’s criminal justice system.

“It has to change,” Groenewald said.

• The body of Precious Ramabulana, 21, a student at Capricorn TVET College, was found with 52 stab wounds at her rented room. A suspect, Aubrey Manaka, was arrested and he appeared in the Molemole Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo yesterday, where the matter was postponed to late January. The courtroom where her alleged killer appeared was filled with her college mates and community members. The students demonstrated while holding placards calling for justice for Ramabulana and for all murderers to be sent to jail, or to go to “hell where they belong”.

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