09 Mar 2016

Various stakeholders including Ministers, Members of Parliament, Members of Ntlo ya Dikgosi, Members of the Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence, Justice, Security and Governance Assurance, amongst others, undertook visits in the period between April 2008 and March 2016 to inspect conditions in prisons and police holding cells.

Minister of Defence, Justice and Security Mr Shaw Kgathi told Parliament on Tuesday that there were no visits by any local or international Non-Governmental Organisation during the same period for the same purpose.

He explained that there was no provision in the Prisons Act which allowed for inspection of conditions in prisons by Non-Governmental organisations.

Minister Kgati was responding to Selebi Phikwe West MP Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse who had asked the minister how many High Court Judges, Ministers, MP’s, and senior Ministry officials had visited Prisons and Police holding cells to inspect conditions of service from April 2008 to date.

Mr Keorapetse had asked the minister if there were any local or international Non-Governmental organisations who had visited the prisons during the same period and for the same purpose. 

He had also wanted the minister to explain why prisons were not inspected by the said category of people. Ends