An attempted assassination on the head of Waterval Maximum Centre has prompted the National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Makgothi Thobakgale, to visit the Utrecht based prison facility on Tuesday, 14 November 2023.
Singabakho Nxumalo, spokesperson for the Department of Correctional Services, said the Department has expressed deep concern over a series of attacks targeting officials.
The first attack, he pointed out, took place on 21 October 2023, when an official who had served 35 years in Correctional Services and oversaw Internal Security at Barberton Correctional Centre in Mpumalanga, was gunned down in a hail of bullets.
“We are still hurting from that incident, and we are keeping close attention to the investigation as it is a priority for us that those behind this barbaric act be brought before justice. The National Commissioner, Mr Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale attended the funeral and touched base with the investigating team,” said Nxumalo.
Adding to the alarming trend, the Head of Waterval Maximum Centre faced an attack on 30 October 2023.
According to a police source, the head of the prison was ambushed and shot at while on her way home from work. Despite sustaining injuries, she managed to evade her attackers, seek refuge at a nearby police station, and receive prompt medical attention.
The police source further explained that she was subsequently taken to the hospital and placed under police guard for safety.
“The two cases do highlight the type of war that we are facing. Those hellbent on their nefarious criminal acts are now targeting our officials as they perceive them to be standing in their way. A highly coordinated criminal justice system is an answer to the war we are confronted with,” stated Nxumalo.
Commissioner Thobakgale’s visit to the Waterval facility aimed to engage with officials and assure them that the Department was collaborating with other law enforcement agencies to conduct thorough investigations and enhance security measures.
During his visit, Thobakgale met with the injured prison head in the hospital and held discussions with police officials regarding the ongoing investigations, reportedly at an advanced stage. The Commissioner also convened an emergency security team to explore ways to safeguard officials in the future.
With this all in mind, readers are invited to share their thoughts on these recent events in the comment section below.
