By Nkululeko Nene
A senior prison official has been suspended following allegations he had an affair with a prisoner at the Durban Westville Female Correctional Centre.
The allegations have been confirmed by a number of sources including a Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) official and the department of correctional service spokesperson in the province.
The suspension of the member who cannot be named comes at a time when a female prison warden who was filmed in a sex romp with a male prisoner at Ncome Correctional Facility was fired last week.
Department of Correctional Services provincial spokesperson, Thulani Mdluli, said an internal investigation was underway but denied the suspect has been placed on suspension.
“We have received these disgusting allegations. Nobody is currently suspended pending the outcome of the allegation. But it must be clear that if these allegations implicate any official, serious disciplinary actions will be taken against that official, because the departmental Code of Conduct, Resolution 1 of 2006, is against any improper, disgraceful or unacceptable acts by an official while on duty,” said Mdluli.
Popcru provincial secretary Nthabeleng Molefe said they were observing the internal processes with interest. She said the allegations faced by the member were serious.
“We are aware of the matter and the department is busy with internal processes. We condemn the relationship between inmates and our members because that puts the lives of both members and inmates in danger,” said Molefe.
A source said the incident which took place earlier this month prompted the acting Regional Commissioner TK Mthombeni to report the matter to the National Commissioner Arthur Fraser.
At about midnight on April 2 a male official was found by a female official having sexual intercourse with a female offender at the centre conference room.
The 37-year-old official joined the department in 2006 and he worked at a Durban Female Correctional Centre.
The female prisoner was serving a 20 year sentence for murder.
“An investigation team has been appointed, statements taken from the eye witness, a female official working at the facility, and the offender. It was also confirmed that they did have sexual intercourse.”
The source said management should not have placed a male warden in a female prison. IOL
