Inside Mthatha’s Hellhole

The full horror of the country’s most overcrowded prison can be revealed in this shocking photograph showing what warders say are 300 men crammed into a cell built for only 15.

Few readers will have much sympathy with the lot of a prisoner in crime-ridden South Africa and many may think that whatever they experience in prison is simply just desserts for their deeds. It is, however, hard not to be shocked by this image

Inside Mthatha Medium Prison, which is more than 400 percent overcrowded, inmates are so squashed they are forced to sleep sitting up.

The unbearable conditions are a potential spark for breakouts at a facility where there is only one warder to more than 200 inmates.

Already the prison, formerly known as Wellington, has encountered two serious escapes, which infuriated Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour.

Conditions are so bad that:

• Ablution facilities for all 300 inmates consist of only two festering toilets;
  
  
• There is not a single mattress in the cell;
  
  
• Inmates are said to be almost certain to contract HIV as rape and disease are rife;
  
  
• Some single cells accommodate up to 11 prisoners.
  
  

There is no bedding for inmates, most of whom are awaiting-trial prisoners not yet convicted of any crime, who are forced to stand, sit or lie on top of each other.

Rape is commonplace, and so too is disease. Inmates complained they were being “eaten alive” by lice.

At the moment the prison accommodates 2491 inmates, four times more than the 580 it was built for. Of those in jail, 1598 are awaiting trial.

“In a normal situation there should be not more than 15 prisoners in that cell, but now more than 300 are squashed in there,” said one warder.

And during either of the two shifts, no more than 10 warders are on duty to control the population.

Reporters spotted young faces among the adults, with one estimated to be only 14 years old.

One warder said the chances of an inmate contracting HIV was more than 90 percent.

“If you are locked up there for even one day, chances are very high you will come out a rape victim. Almost every day there are rape cases reported. But of course some of the prisoners do not come forward to report their cases, because they are afraid of being victimised again.”

Last week both the Department of Correctional Services and Judicial Inspectorate of Prisons (JIP), who visited in January, confirmed the overcrowding.

JIP acting director of functional services Pritima Osman said the approved lock-up total should be 580 inmates.

“This means the centre was 429 percent overcrowded.

In January the country’s correctional service system was accommodating 165987 inmates, 45 percent more than the 114559 it was designed to take.

Mthatha Prison’s appeal for aid rejected
A WARDER’s plea for intervention at the severely overcrowded Mthatha Medium Prison has been rejected.

Doctor confirms disease rife in prison
A DOCTOR has confirmed that disease is rife in the overcrowded cells of Mthatha Medium Prison. Dr Bongiwe Mbuwako said HIV was prevalent among inmates at the prison when she worked there as a full-time doctor from 2006. She resigned two months ago.

Life behind bars is also a ‘living hell’ for prison warders
A SENIOR prison warder at Mthatha’s prison has described his tenure as a “living hell”.

Prison also known for escapes
MTHATHA Medium Prison – the country’s most overcrowded jail – is notorious for prisoner escapes.