Inmates rush to aid of burning prisoner

Inmates at Pretoria Central Prison allegedly saved the life of an inmate who set himself alight in protest against not being transferred to another prison.

An inmate phoning from the prison has described how chaos erupted on Tuesday after the prisoner barricaded himself in his single cell, wrapping himself in his mattress before setting it alight.

The inmate claimed that prisoners raced to save the life of the man, who is serving 20 years for armed robbery, after warders were apparently slow to react.

Gauteng Correctional Services spokesman Ofentse Morwane declined to comment on the claims that warders were slow in assisting the inmate.

The prisoner who contacted the Pretoria News said inmates now feared that they could face charges of riotous behaviour.

“This has caused huge embarrassment. There is a lot of trouble and the warders are wanting to punish us because we helped instead of them,” he said.

The prisoner said there had been chaos.

“He was screaming and screaming. He wouldn’t stop. You could feel the heat of the flames and you could smell the things that were burning.

“There were warders there but they didn’t want to do anything. The prisoners were scared and angry. They were angry because nothing was being done and scared that the fire could spread and that they might die,” he said.

Morwane said the inmate, who was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment in October 2004, had wanted to commit suicide.

“We are in the middle of an investigation to establish what happened, but preliminary investigations indicate that he demanded to be transferred to another prison in Gauteng.

“It is not proper for offenders to demand transfers.

“Prisoners have rights, but there are procedures and processes to follow when seeking a transfer, especially because of the challenges posed by overcrowding.

“It is therefore not correct for offenders to simply demand to be transferred,” Morwane said.

Asked about the allegations that warders had failed to extinguish the fire and that the prisoners who assisted the inmate were facing possible charges, Morwane said: “I do not want to pre-empt the investigation or its findings. I am not going to be drawn into the entire incident or who has been charged with what.”

He said the inmate, who was initially taken to Kalafong Hospital, was recovering in the prison’s hospital. - Pretoria News