Leaders of the Justice and Correctional Services Department have expressed shock and disbelief at the tragic death of five Correctional Officials and a police man in an accident that happened just five kilometres outside of the Rooigrond Correctional Centre in the North West Province on 2 June 2014.
A car carrying five correctional officials had a head-on collision with a South African police car, leaving the six officials of the security cluster dead, five of them on the accident scene while the sixth one was declared dead on arrival at the hospital. The police car driver was alone and died on the spot alongside four correctional officials.
The Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Advocate Michael Masutha, said: “I am shocked and pained by this tragic accident. It has tragically cut shot the lives of our correctional officials and a policeman, leaving their families grappling with this immense loss. We are left poorer as the criminal justice system as a whole, because these officials together had given decades of invaluable experience in delivering correctional and security services to our people. We express our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased officials and can only pray to God to soothe their painful hearts.”
An equally shocked Acting National Commissioner Nontsikelelo Jolingana said: “the whole correctional services family is joining the families of these officials in mourning their tragic loss. This has left Rooigrond and North West correctional officials devastated and asking questions that none of us can answer. We will do our best to support the families of the deceased officials as well as their colleagues.”
The accident happened just after 15h00 yesterday afternoon on the R501 road between Rooigrond Correctional Centre and Mahikeng. Names of the deceased officials will be published when all their next of kin have been informed. The South African Police Services is investigating the incident.
Enquiries:
Lawrence Ngoveni
Cell: 083 450 3363
E-mail: LNgoveni@justice.gov.za
