New food rations rule riles EL prison inmates

Fried chicken was seen as a “security threat” and denied to awaiting-trial prisoners in East London at a maximum security prison this week.

No explanation was offered by prison authorities for the boxes of top brands of chicken turned away from the West Bank prison recently.

The Saturday Dispatch learnt that an official at West Bank prison had issued an “unauthorised” instruction on March 31 to turn away visitors carrying the fast food and other foods destined for more than 1000 awaiting-trial prisoners.

Eastern Cape department of correctional services regional spokesman Zama Feni confirmed the food ban yesterday, saying: “The letter which contained changes on types and quantity of food items to be brought to awaiting-trial detainees should be taken as a recommendation from a concerned manager.”

However, Feni said the recommendation was not the “final authority” as it had not been endorsed by the head of the correctional centre, Donald Ntshinga.

“The correspondence on changes to quantity and types of food has been withdrawn until all concerns and perceived security threats are discussed intensively with the head of centre and his management,” Feni said.

The drastic changes to items brought in by visitors, according to memo seen by the newspaper, included limitations per prisoner of:

• Five pears or apples, no other fruits;
• One kilogramme sugar;
• One litre of milk;
• Only 250g tea or coffee;
• Only 750ml cool drinks;
• One kilogramme of porridge;

100 grams of tobacco, or four packets of cigarettes, and no other items.

Feni said visitors were allowed to bring fast food to awaiting-trial detainees.

But he confirmed that this was not the case last week.

“The management of the centre did receive complaints that recently packets of fast food brought in by visitors was not allowed to be brought in to the detainees at the centre.

Feni said they were “dealing and treating the matter with urgency”.

He said the following items currently allowed to be given to each prisoner were one loaf of bread or homemade bread, one two-litre cool drink, one 500g brick of margarine, 500g of peanut butter, 500g of tea and coffee, 2kg of cereal, 1kg of sugar, a 1.5kg pack of fruit and 1.2l of milk.

The newspaper further learnt that detainees were allegedly eating unhealthy food provided by authorities and sold at prison stores, and using buckets to relieve themselves while cells were overcrowded because of inmates who were transferred from King William’s Town’s correctional facility.

Feni said said these allegations had to be reported to management.

“We take such matters very seriously as the law compels prison authorities to feed those in their custody balanced and nutritious meals.”

“The situation at the East London Medium-B Correctional Centre has been exacerbated by the more than 200 awaiting-trial detainees from the King William’s Town (KWT) Correctional Centre who were brought there due to renovations there at KWT,” Feni said. — msindisif@dispatch.co.za