AFP
File photo
Cape Town –
A report to Parliament on the state of kitchens at the Pollsmoor jail is false and misleading, a Western Cape official said on Friday.
“The kitchens are under constant scrutiny… every day, and the food is tasted by the head of centre and nutrition staff before it is provided to the offenders,” said correctional services spokesman Siphiwe Xako.
Xako was responding to a verbal report by independent prisons visitor Thami Mlenzana to Parliament’s correctional services committee.
Mlenzana told MPs her visits to the kitchens at the Medium B and Maximum division revealed they were infested by flies, and inmates were eating from dirty pots.
Xako however told the committee the kitchens posed no danger or health risk to offenders and staff. Several kitchens were being renovated as part of a national project for correctional centres.
“This kitchen was the first to be completed and is in a very neat and hygienic state,” Xako said.
On Wednesday, Mlenzana said, she had visited the kitchens at various times, as part of her duties to check prisoners were not mistreated, and had various concerns.
“It’s dirty, even the Bosasa side is also dirty, and you’ll see flies inside the kitchen… that is inhumane,” Mlenzana told the committee.
Some of Pollsmoor’s kitchens are being run by the Bosasa group of companies, which had its contract to provide food and maintain kitchens at several South African prisons extended earlier this year.
The Bosasa tender has been tainted by allegations of a corrupt relationship between the company and former senior officials. – Sapa
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Pollsmoor kitchens ‘not filthy’