Prisoners at Pretoria’s Kgosi Mampuru II prison in South Africa started a violent riot on Sunday afternoon causing as many as 19 people to sustain injuries. The riot began after prisoners expressed displeasure over how parole was being dealt with.
It turned violent when inmates beat one of the wardens with bricks for calling them an offensive word.
Video taken of the chaos shows warders with dogs, electric shields, and pepper sprays trying to keep the rioters under control. The rioters on their part made weapons out of whatever they could find and attacked the guards.
The fight led prison authorities to call in specialised units from the Department of Correctional Services to deal with prisoners’ unhappiness over how issues around parole are being dealt with. Spokesman for the Gauteng Department of Correctional Services Ofentse Morwane‚ confirmed that an “altercation” had taken place and that issues surrounding parole were the reason for the disagreement.
Morwane said: “According to initial reports‚ offenders were refusing to go into their cells. They were requested repeatedly to go back to their cells‚ but refused to do so. The inmates then started attacking officials and in the process, one official and one offender sustained slight injuries. In line with the relevant legislation‚ minimum force was utilised to restore order and the centre is now back to normal.”
Prisoners from across the province have planned to go on strike from Monday onwards. The prisoners say they are “sick and tired of how parole boards operate”.
Below is the video of prisoners rioting.
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