Prisons Overcrowded After Looting Arrests

Correctional Services is struggling to isolate COVID-19 positive inmates.

Many of those recently arrested for alleged looting have tested positive.

The department said this is putting strain on an already overburdened system.

Correctional Services’ Singabakho Nxumalo said, “every newly admitted person must be isolated. As they come in in big numbers, we have to put them in isolation. We have to move other inmates from other sections, convert <them> into isolation sites, so that’s where we’re also feeling the pressure. .. we can’t be having our facilities declared superspreaders. that’s something we can’t afford to have.”