SAHRC to visit Mangaung Maximum Security Prison

The South African Human Rights Commission will visit the Mangaung Maximum Security Prison today due to a number of complaints received from inmates about the detention conditions at the prison.

The Correctional Services Act provides for the establishment of private prisons. Mangaung Maximum Security Prison is one of the two private prisons in South Africa run by the UK based company called Group 4. It has approximately 2928 inmates. Contractual obligations and the constitution require that private prisons provide conditions and treatment safe and humane detention. 

The aim of the visit to the prison is to look at detention conditions at the prison and verify the authenticity of the alleged human rights violations. The Commission will speak to individual prisoners, and meet with the prison authorities.