Date: 08/11/2005
Source: Ministry of Correctional Services
Title: Balfour: Foiled escape by offenders at Zonderwater Correctional Centre, Parliament
Address to Parliament by the Minister of Correctional Services, Mr Ngconde Balfour, MP, on foiled escape by offenders at Zonderwater Correctional Centre over the weekend, Cape Town
Honourable Speaker and
Honourable Members of Parliament
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to address this house on the recent incident of an attempted escape at Zonderwater Correctional Centre in Cullinan just outside of Pretoria, which resulted in one official fighting for his life and one offender dead.
Madam Speaker, a group of five callous long term serving offenders with no respect for human life took hostage five officials in an attempt to escape from Zonderwater Correctional Centre in the morning of Sunday, 6 November 2005. Our partners, the South African Police Service (SAPS), were immediately called in with their experts to help handle the situation. Negotiators managed to control the situation without panic or irrational decision that could have led to a bloodbath from about 11h00 until after 18h00, when the intervention put an end to the ordeal.
The offenders were demanding loaded assault rifles (R5), a get away kombi with its windows painted to conceal people inside and a safe passage out of the correctional centre. In short the professionalism and dedication of SAPS officials and Correctional Services managed to save many lives. Regrettably one official, Mr Dirk Thiart, was serious injured and is currently fighting for his life at Montana Hospital. I am sure members of this house will join us in praying for his life. Four other officials survived unhurt and were provided with counselling services. They are Mr Mpho Masemola (33), Sister Marcel Naude (33), Sister Grace Sekgabutla (47) and Mr Goodman Mthimkhulu (43). I praise them for their bravery and courage.
One offender serving 80 years for multiple serious crimes including murder, armed robbery and possession of firearms and ammunition, Classmed Lekota, was killed. Four other offenders were immediately transferred to C Max Correctional Centre in Pretoria and will face the full might of the law. These offenders include one who is serving two life sentences for murder, attempted murder and robbery, another one serving a life sentence for murder and robbery, another one serving a life sentence for robbery and the last one who is serving 15 years for rape.
Criminal and internal investigations are being done following strong leads that indicate collusion by at least three officials of the Department.
It is incidents such as these perpetrated by callous offenders who have no respect for human life that some people may begin to ask, is the route we have taken of transforming Correctional Services into a rehabilitation centred institution the correct one. Let me hasten to respond by saying, we are winning the war on violence and escapes in our Correctional Centres. We therefore remain resolute, working side by side with our partners in the criminal justice system and the society, to build a rehabilitation centred correctional system with a secure, safe and humane framework as our contribution to a safer society.
Various strategies are being rolled out to create a safe and secure environment in our centres for effective implementation of our programmes aimed at correcting the offending behaviour and human development, including:
1. The rollout of the R88 million state-of-the-art security system that is based on biometric access control, metal detectors and close-circuit television (CCTV) system to prevent entry of illegal and dangerous substances and weapons to our centres. The programme is 100% complete in the Eastern Cape, nearly complete in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal while the rollout has begun in other regions.
2. Our national escape prevention strategy that progressively registers the desired results as we have already reduced escapes by over 33% between January and September 2004 compared with the same period in 2005. (105 in 2004 reduced to 70 escapes in 2005).
Internationally, running a correctional system is a function full of risks and there can be no quick fixes for the challenges we have to overcome. Although we are making significant progress, the desired targets can only be achieved with every role-player, including families of the offenders and communities putting their weight behind these efforts, to realise corrections as a societal responsibility.
Guns kill people. It matters not how many people are at work, smuggling a firearm into a correctional centre for use by people who do not shy away from breaking the law, will never serve any right thinking person be she/he a colleague, a corrupt official or a family members, because lives may be lost. The question of the staff complement over weekends does not arise at all. Smuggling illegal firearm to an offender will remain wrong and illegal nor matter what day of the week. Responsible South Africans in cases like these would extend a word of condolence to the family of the deceased and show compassion, care and express wishes of speedy recovery for the injured, instead of seeking to score cheap points with baseless accusations.
I implore all people and organisations sharing the passion of building a better life for all in South Africa to unequivocally condemn any act of smuggling illegal weapons and substances into our centres.
Madam Speaker, I also wish to condemn in the strongest possible terms any efforts to justify these illegal actions by raising issues of dissatisfaction with any allegations of ill-treatment or abuse. We have built an accountable system of governance to ensure that the transformation of correctional services is kept in check and on course. My door is open any time to any family member, offender or relative of an offender, to call me, the commissioner, or area commissioner and report any humiliation or abuse by any one. Acquiring an illegal weapon, brandishing a weapon to try to get out of a correctional centre will never work. I condemn any criminal activity irrespective of who is involved. Any one may also report incidents of dissatisfaction to the Judicial Inspectorate of Prisons and the Human Rights Commission, which are state agencies assigned to deliver checks and balances in the delivery of correctional services.
To my staff members and those who aspire to join Correctional Services and to be ideal correctional officials, I want to assure you that your wellbeing and your safety will always be paramount to the Minister. I appreciate the hard work that you guys do.
I thank you.
Issued by: Ministry of Correctional Services
8 November 2005
Source: Ministry of Correctional Services
Title: Balfour: Foiled escape by offenders at Zonderwater Correctional Centre, Parliament
Address to Parliament by the Minister of Correctional Services, Mr Ngconde Balfour, MP, on foiled escape by offenders at Zonderwater Correctional Centre over the weekend, Cape Town
Honourable Speaker and
Honourable Members of Parliament
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to address this house on the recent incident of an attempted escape at Zonderwater Correctional Centre in Cullinan just outside of Pretoria, which resulted in one official fighting for his life and one offender dead.
Madam Speaker, a group of five callous long term serving offenders with no respect for human life took hostage five officials in an attempt to escape from Zonderwater Correctional Centre in the morning of Sunday, 6 November 2005. Our partners, the South African Police Service (SAPS), were immediately called in with their experts to help handle the situation. Negotiators managed to control the situation without panic or irrational decision that could have led to a bloodbath from about 11h00 until after 18h00, when the intervention put an end to the ordeal.
The offenders were demanding loaded assault rifles (R5), a get away kombi with its windows painted to conceal people inside and a safe passage out of the correctional centre. In short the professionalism and dedication of SAPS officials and Correctional Services managed to save many lives. Regrettably one official, Mr Dirk Thiart, was serious injured and is currently fighting for his life at Montana Hospital. I am sure members of this house will join us in praying for his life. Four other officials survived unhurt and were provided with counselling services. They are Mr Mpho Masemola (33), Sister Marcel Naude (33), Sister Grace Sekgabutla (47) and Mr Goodman Mthimkhulu (43). I praise them for their bravery and courage.
One offender serving 80 years for multiple serious crimes including murder, armed robbery and possession of firearms and ammunition, Classmed Lekota, was killed. Four other offenders were immediately transferred to C Max Correctional Centre in Pretoria and will face the full might of the law. These offenders include one who is serving two life sentences for murder, attempted murder and robbery, another one serving a life sentence for murder and robbery, another one serving a life sentence for robbery and the last one who is serving 15 years for rape.
Criminal and internal investigations are being done following strong leads that indicate collusion by at least three officials of the Department.
It is incidents such as these perpetrated by callous offenders who have no respect for human life that some people may begin to ask, is the route we have taken of transforming Correctional Services into a rehabilitation centred institution the correct one. Let me hasten to respond by saying, we are winning the war on violence and escapes in our Correctional Centres. We therefore remain resolute, working side by side with our partners in the criminal justice system and the society, to build a rehabilitation centred correctional system with a secure, safe and humane framework as our contribution to a safer society.
Various strategies are being rolled out to create a safe and secure environment in our centres for effective implementation of our programmes aimed at correcting the offending behaviour and human development, including:
1. The rollout of the R88 million state-of-the-art security system that is based on biometric access control, metal detectors and close-circuit television (CCTV) system to prevent entry of illegal and dangerous substances and weapons to our centres. The programme is 100% complete in the Eastern Cape, nearly complete in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal while the rollout has begun in other regions.
2. Our national escape prevention strategy that progressively registers the desired results as we have already reduced escapes by over 33% between January and September 2004 compared with the same period in 2005. (105 in 2004 reduced to 70 escapes in 2005).
Internationally, running a correctional system is a function full of risks and there can be no quick fixes for the challenges we have to overcome. Although we are making significant progress, the desired targets can only be achieved with every role-player, including families of the offenders and communities putting their weight behind these efforts, to realise corrections as a societal responsibility.
Guns kill people. It matters not how many people are at work, smuggling a firearm into a correctional centre for use by people who do not shy away from breaking the law, will never serve any right thinking person be she/he a colleague, a corrupt official or a family members, because lives may be lost. The question of the staff complement over weekends does not arise at all. Smuggling illegal firearm to an offender will remain wrong and illegal nor matter what day of the week. Responsible South Africans in cases like these would extend a word of condolence to the family of the deceased and show compassion, care and express wishes of speedy recovery for the injured, instead of seeking to score cheap points with baseless accusations.
I implore all people and organisations sharing the passion of building a better life for all in South Africa to unequivocally condemn any act of smuggling illegal weapons and substances into our centres.
Madam Speaker, I also wish to condemn in the strongest possible terms any efforts to justify these illegal actions by raising issues of dissatisfaction with any allegations of ill-treatment or abuse. We have built an accountable system of governance to ensure that the transformation of correctional services is kept in check and on course. My door is open any time to any family member, offender or relative of an offender, to call me, the commissioner, or area commissioner and report any humiliation or abuse by any one. Acquiring an illegal weapon, brandishing a weapon to try to get out of a correctional centre will never work. I condemn any criminal activity irrespective of who is involved. Any one may also report incidents of dissatisfaction to the Judicial Inspectorate of Prisons and the Human Rights Commission, which are state agencies assigned to deliver checks and balances in the delivery of correctional services.
To my staff members and those who aspire to join Correctional Services and to be ideal correctional officials, I want to assure you that your wellbeing and your safety will always be paramount to the Minister. I appreciate the hard work that you guys do.
I thank you.
Issued by: Ministry of Correctional Services
8 November 2005
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