Three prison officials found guilty for ‘strip tease’ jailhouse scandal

It’s been two years since the department of correctional service was left red-faced when three scantily dressed women somehow made it into the Johannesburg Medium B prison commonly known as Sun City to entertain prisoners.

Photos of the salacious encounter between the women and inmates circulated on social media prompting nationwide outrage, showing the women fraternising with some of the country’s sexual offenders and convicted murderers.

The correctional service department fingered thirteen officials at the time and apologised for the breach, vowing to investigate the matter after issuing some officials with warning letters.

Two years later, the department confirmed that concluded investigations highlighted a clear breach in security which led to the suspension of four senior prison officials and one junior staff member.

Correctional services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo confirmed no official was fired, but three officials were found guilty and were issued with final written warnings.

While no official was found to be the mastermind to the breach, Nxumalo said, the department ensured the breach would not occur as the findings to the investigation clearly indicated how the breach occurred. Asked how the breach happened under the prison’s assumed tight security, Nxumalo said the findings would remain confidential as they related to security in the correctional centre.

“Divulging such information to the public is not advisable.”

It was found that those implicated in the breach failed to comply with the departments’ policies and procedures on security.

The prison officials are still working for the department and Nxumalo stressed that the department now had measures in place to address the gaps identified during the investigation.

The department confirmed 13 officials were found to be linked to the breach which resulted in the women finding their way into the arms of prison inmates.

The pictures were taken during a Youth Month commemoration on June 21, 2017, at the correctional centre, which highlighted the explicit entertainment.

The raunchy entertainment was never approved, the department stressed, as it was not in line with DCS policies and procedures in terms of appropriate clothing and behaviours when inside the correctional services environment.

Six items of entertainment were on the programme during the Youth Day celebration on June 21, but the half-naked dancers, who were not approved by the department, somehow charmed their way into “Sun City”.

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