First Covid-19 case at Qalakabusha Prison in Empangeni

PRISON warders at Qalakabusha Correctional Services in Empangeni downed tools on Thursday after an inmate tested positive for Covid-19.
According to a source, the inmate was one of the offenders recently approved for parole by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The source said the test result was delivered on Wednesday.
‘On Thursday morning all prison warders working in A Section decided to down tools. They unlocked the inmates and provided them with breakfast after 9am, and then abandoned their jobs.
‘They demanded to be tested for Covid-19, claimed that checking temperature was not the solution and wanted to know how the inmate was infected.’
KZN secretary of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU), Ntabeleng Molefe, confirmed that Qalakabusha management and members had a meeting on Thursday to discuss the way forward.
‘Management undertook to interact with the Department of Health to make arrangements for everyone to be tested,’ said Molefe.
Attempts to obtain comment from KZN Correctional Services were unsuccessful.