This follows last Friday’s crash in Mitchells Plain in which at least 43 prisoners, two policemen and 14 taxi passengers were injured after a police truck and a taxi collided.
The South African Prisoners Organisation for Human Rights (SAPOHR) believes the accident could have been avoided and is blaming policemen and warders escorting the bandiete for “flouting the rules with impunity”, reports the Weekend Argus.
“The transportation is reckless and it’s a nationwide problem,” SAPOHR chairman Miles Bhudu said.
He said they are currently dealing with 10 incidents and that the police and the Department of Correctional Services had been stonewalling them.
“The department sweeps everything under the carpet. Prisoners have rights, they should not be treated like animals. The department doesn’t report cases to the [Road Accident]Fund,” Bhudu alleged.
He added that three incidents he had reported in the last 12 months have not been resolved.
The RAF did not respond to requests for comment.
Bhudu said the organisation is trying to rope in the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS) to tackle DCS.
However DCS spokesman Singabakho Nxumalo disputed SAPOHR’s claims and said the department made sure it assisted prisoners with Legal Aid in such cases.
He said 20 of the injured prisoners were back in their cells, while the rest were recovering in hospital.
He said SAPS was investigating the incident.