(The Post News)- The prisoner’s organization is calling for the heads to roll after the death of a Johannesburg female inmate, Ayanda Mkhize at the Johannesburg Female Correctional Centre in Gauteng.
“The allegations were a lie. She was not feeling well and was transferred to an outside hospital where she sadly passed on. The family can be provided with a medical report and cause of death,” this is according to Singabankho Nxumalo, spokesperson for the Department of Correctional Services, refuting the claims suggesting Mkhize’s death was caused by torture.
Mkhize, who died weeks after she was allegedly tortured into revealing how a cell phone was smuggled into the facility, was a prisoner at the Johannesburg Female Correctional Centre in Gauteng. Among other things found during the random raid at the prison was a cellphone allegedly in Mkhizes’s position.
However, the South African Prisoners Organization for Human Rights (Sapohr) believes Mkhize was tortured to reveal the truth about the cellphone smuggling. The organization’s Golden Bhudu confirmed that Mkhize was further isolated from the rest of her cellmates following the search.
Bhudu adds that Mkhize was shocked with electric wires as a form of torture to confess all about the cellphone smuggling into the prison. Furthermore, Bhudu says Mkhize fell ill and was taken to the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital but was not admitted. A few days later was rushed to the same hospital where she lost her life.
Her aunt was informed by the hospital about her passing during the visit after the family were informed by her fellow inmates about her admission at the hospital.
To rub salt in the wounds, the Modiehi Mongale Foundation, a non-profit organization that deals with the issues affecting prisoners, ex-offenders, and families of the incarcerated, is calling for justice to be served.
The organization’s Lerato Manaka emphasized all prisoners must serve their sentence with dignity. Manaka blamed the prison officials for not playing their role of protecting the deceased. On behalf of the organization, Manaka is calling for a transparent investigation surrounding the death of Mkhize.
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