The Minister of Correctional Services, Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, accompanied by Deputy Minister of Correctional Services, Ms Hlengiwe Mkhize, will this afternoon visit the Mangaung Correctional Centre near Bloemfontein in the Free State province.
The visit come on the heels of a reported hunger strike by nine offenders at that facility, the second such incident there in a little over two weeks.
The fact finding visit by the Ministers is an attempt to get firsthand knowledge of what has triggered this latest action by the offenders.
Ministers Mapisa-Nqakula and Mkhize will engage with both officials and offenders at Mangaung Correctional Centre with the view of resolving the impasse. Mangaung Correctional Centre is one of the only two public-private partnership centres in South Africa.
The Department of Correctional Services invites all media to a question and answer opportunity, following such an engagement.
Enquiries:
Sonwabo Mbananga
Cell: 082 401 9965
Issued by: Department of Correctional Services
12 August 2009
