Two Emergency Support Teams (EST) members stationed at the Drakenstein Correctional Services in Paarl are alleged to have attempted an unorthodox tactic to identify the culprits behind missing meat stock intended to supply prisons across the Western Cape.
The two EST members of which one is the leader and the other the deputy leader, reportedly gave marijuana to a group of up to seven section-C prisoners during October 2023 to entice them to divulge the meat thief’s identity.
It remains unclear how the two EST members determined which prisoners may know the thief, and whether the marijuana was an attempt at bribery or a means to impair the prisoners’ judgement for easier interrogation.
Although this article reads like a comic or bad comedy film, we have done some digging – this is not a drill.
The Drakenstein prison grounds is known to provide large quantities of meat, vegetables and other crops to prisons around the province as it is equipped with its own livestock and land.
In recent reporting done by Paarl Post, mismanagement regarding the livestock has been reported on several occasions, such as over-feeding and obesity, unhygienic living conditions or a water supply shortage leading to the death of thousands of chickens in March.
However, this time around, trusted information suggests that it is not only the animals that suffer under mismanagement and abuse of power, but also the inmates.
According to a trusted source the prisoners reported the incident at the head of section-C who logged the incident and reported it to the head of section-A, Colleen Mpeluza.
The source alleged that Mpeluza “only reprimanded” the two EST members, rather than taking other mandatory actions, like warnings or internal investigations. The reason for this course of action, the source alleged, is that one EST member is related to Ntomboxolo Kungune, the head of Drakenstein Correctional Services, and the other is family of Kungune’s partner.
The newspaper was provided with a statement from one of the inmates which reads:
“During the month of October 2023 I was working at Drakenstein Management [at the logistics division] [when] an offender came to me and said two EST members want to see me.”
“I went to the taakmagbakkie [EST vehicle] standing inside [the] logistics [building] where there were 2 EST members inside [the bakkie]. The two members were Mr Attie and [another].”
“The [EST] members asked me who at logistics steal meat, [and] I also saw on the dashboard of the bakkie [there] was dagga, tik and Mandrax tablets.”
“The EST members told me if I can give them information on what members steal meat at logistics they will give me dagga. I said to them again that I don’t know of any members stealing meat.” “They gave me then one stop of dagga and drove off out of the logistics division.”
“I walked off to my fellow work team offenders who asked me what the two EST members want from me. I told them the EST members want to know from me who the members are who steal meat at logistics. I said to them they [the EST embers] will give us dagga for information and that I received one dagga stop from them.”
“I made a dagga zoll and me and my fellow work team offenders smoked it.”
According to the source, meat has been disappearing at logistics for quite some time now, and it is not certain when it started or who is responsible. Although, some speculate that inmates and prison management are stealing. They stated that the prisoners were not “forced” to smoke the marijuana, but the fact that it was given to encourage intoxication or as a bribe, is, in itself, incriminating and against prison conduct.
“Lots of promises can be made to prisoners to get information,” the source explained. Both EST members still work at the prison since the incident was reported.
“They [the EST members] are the untouchables of the prison and dare not be reprimanded otherwise you will have to deal with Kungune,” the source said.
Paarl Post reached out to the Department of Correctional Services on 3 May, but had not received comment by the time of publication.
