The family of Thulani Rafisa, an inmate serving an 11-year sentence at the Mangaung G4S maximum prison, has made shocking allegations against prison officials, claiming that their son has been sexually violated while in custody.
In a desperate plea for help, the family has also accused the authorities of failing to transfer Rafisa to a facility more suited to his sentence length, raising serious questions about the management of inmates within South Africa's correctional system.
Concerned relatives have expressed their bewilderment over how he found himself incarcerated in a maximum facility, given that his sentence is below the minimum requirement of 15 years.
Despite their efforts to have him transferred to a more appropriate facility, including numerous letters and requests, the family claims their appeals have fallen on deaf ears.
Speaking to The Star, Rafisa’s sister expressed her frustration, stating, “Please guys help us get Thulani out of the Mangaung Prison; he’s not supposed to be there. Last time I called Nhlapho, he dropped the phone and told me not to ever call there again. That is a whole DCS controller; they don't want to put Thulani out of Mangaung because they are corrupt in that G4S.”
The family also disclosed that Thulani is not alone in his suffering; they allege other inmates have been victims of abuse by prison personnel. The case of another inmate, Moesmoe Gowa, was highlighted, where the family claims no action was taken after similar allegations of abuse. “Guess what, they also took him to the police station, but the case went nowhere. Today, a commissioner at Blomspruit police station says it’s the first time they get such a case, meaning they paid the police to not follow up on Mr Gowa’s case,” she added.
Thulani was reportedly transferred to Mangaung prison in June 2024, and in a letter to his family, expressed his distress about being housed among violent offenders. “Today, he asked one of the officials how many years of sentences they admit. They said 15 years going up, and this is not fair because he arrived at Mangaung when his sentence was 9 years and 8 months, and his file is clean. He has never stabbed a police officer but is forced to serve alongside hardened criminals, putting his life at greater risk,” his sister recounted.
Adding to the tragedy of Thulani’s situation, his family shared concerning news about his health. “He has been to the doctor and has been told he has fungus but is not allowed to bring his own underwear. The doctor told him that they don’t want to allow him to bring his own underwear because those from G4S react to his skin badly,” his sister revealed.
In response to these serious allegations, DCS spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo provided some insight into the admission procedures for inmates in South African correctional facilities.
He explained that these procedures, governed by Section 6 of the Correctional Services Act, 111 of 1998, include assessments conducted by specialists to establish an inmate's risk classification and identify appropriate rehabilitation programmes. Nxumalo emphasised that risk classification is not solely determined by sentence length, indicating a structured system designed to align inmates with facilities that match their profiles.
Regarding the allegations of sexual violations, Nxumalo stated that such allegations must be investigated thoroughly to ascertain their validity, urging victims of sexual assault to report these criminal offences to the police.
The Star