Popcru slams ‘ineffective’ govt for Thabo Bester debacle
President of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) Zizamele Cebekhulu says government inefficiency is to blame for Thabo Bester’s escape from prison.
Cebekhulu was speaking during a media roundtable discussion in Pretoria on Wednesday.
The focus of the discussion was the escape of Bester from the Mangaung maximum-security prison, which is operated by private company G4S.
Bester escaped in May last year by faking his own death.
He was rearrested in Tanzania earlier this month.
“People are shifting blame. Correctional Services did not oversee the operations of this oversight, but the portfolio committee also have a responsibility of oversight, they are not exempted from this. I would say, the whole government is ineffective and not just individuals,” said Cebekhulu.
“Lower ranking officials at Mangaung informed us that they are not allowed to talk about Thabo Bester's escape and that only top officials could talk about it.”
Cebekhulu said the rehabilitation of prisoners is the government’s responsibility.
“It is the responsibility of the government as per constitutional provision to take custody of prisoners and rehabilitate them.”
“The number of those who have been found guilty or not guilty is the data that determines whether you are fighting crime. The whole system must report on crime, police must says we have arrested so many people, prosecution must say we have prosecuted so many and correctional services must say we have received so many, then this country can say we are fighting crime.”
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