Staff Reporter
Deputy Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Nkosi Phathekile Holomisa says his department should continue looking for ways to improve the working environment for women employed at correctional facilities across the country.
He said while South Africa continues to address the problem of gender-based violence in communities, the situation of female officials in correctional facilities is more precarious as they have to deal with some of the most dangerous criminals doing time.
“In the last two years, this department has experienced a rising number in violent incidents against female officials working in our correctional centres,” said Holomisa when he officiated at the first pass-out ceremony for female correctional officials who underwent a three-week self-defence training programme at the Kroonstad Training College on Friday.
Over 60 female officers from across the country participated in the programme.
The training, which targeted females who work in maximum correctional facilities, involved physical training and self-defence including kung fu.
The programme also involved an intellectual component as well as strategic workshops for networking, gang combating strategies, code of conduct and making correctional facilities contraband-free, among others.
“. . . we recently lost two female officials who were brutally killed in the line of duty,” he added.
In August, the body of a 50-year-old female warder was found lying in a pool of blood at the Leeuwkop Correctional Centre in Johannesburg.
A 50-year-old prisoner was arrested for the murder of Eunice Moloko who boasted 23 years of service.
In March 2019, a female warder was attacked and killed by an inmate who also raped her colleague at the Goedemoed Correctional Centre.
“Invariably, these acts of cowardice raise alarm bells towards the exposure of female officials to dangerous working conditions in our correctional centres,” said Holomisa.
“. . . we must structure our training to meet the needs of the organisation and capacitate the officials to be competent to deliver their services in line with the vision, mission and objectives of the organisation,” he pointed out.
The deputy minister said the department is also trying to recruit more officials to ensure all their facilities are well staffed and minimise the risk of them working under pressure and under-resourced as it could endanger their lives.