Nxesi’s revelation came after a question by the DA in parliament on the sale of prisons.
According to James Selfe, Shadow Minister of Correctional Services for the DA, the party welcomes the proposed sale. Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town is also part of the disposal plan.
“Given the proximity of these correctional services to their adjoining communities, questions must be asked as to who is going to profit from their sale, and what measures have been put in place to house detainees who are moved,” he said in a statement.
“Both these centres are situated in up-market areas, the significant amount of money which will be made off its sale must be properly monitored.”
According to the DA, Section 217 of the Constitution and the Public Finance Management Act both require that the disposal of State assets occurs in an open and transparent manner. And the opposition party is calling for the properties to be disposed of in this way. They also want the State to get value for their money.
“There have been too many contracts awarded by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) in which it is extremely dubious whether the State received value for money, leading to questions about the companies to which the contracts were awarded,” Selfe said.
“This is [important as it] will be necessary to finance the building of new facilities to house the inmates currently accommodated in Pollsmoor and Leeuwkop.
“Moreover, given the need to accommodate particularly remand detainees close to the courts, the location of alternative sites in Johannesburg and Cape Town becomes critical.”
He said the DA will ensure parliament is informed and that the public is fully engaged if the disposal of these properties gets the green light
Considering the 40 000 hectares of the Leeuwkop correctional centre adjoining the already densely populated Sunninghill, the sale of the farm could be an estate developer’s dream. With that said, valuable farmland will be lost as the city creeps into peri-urban areas.
But Leeuwkop, as a correctional facility, has proven itself to be one of excellence. Those privileged to roam the prison grounds without an orange jumpsuit would see medium security inmates working in fields, the butchery, caring for animals or busying their hands in various workshops. This is an effort to provide offenders with valuable skills, and to be part of their rehabilitation.
The grounds are also home to a dam, sport grounds, a pleasure resort and a shooting range for correctional facility employees.
