‘Mathatisi Sebusi
HIGH profile inmates kept in the maximum security wing of the Maseru Central Correctional Institution (MCCI), can escape anytime due to mediocre security at the facility, Lesotho Correctional Service (LCS) Commissioner, Mating Nkakala, has said.
The facility’s walls are on the brink of collapse, its cameras are not working, and it suffers from a severe shortage of staff, he said.
He told the ongoing LCS Commission of Inquiry into the December 2023 prisoner escape that security at the maximum prison was compromised.
The institution had no money to upgrade its security apparatus.
Mr Nkakala said most of the institution’s cameras were broken and it needed M216 000 to repair them.
“We still have a few cameras monitoring movement within the institution, but the problem is when they get broken, we struggle to fix them because of money problems,” he said.
Asked by the Commission how the inmates had been able to manipulate the system to enable their escape, Mr Nkakala said he believed in was an inside job and the inmates had been assisted by one of the LCS officers.
“I was informed that the escape mission was started early that week and when the inmates discovered from one of the LCS officers that there would be a search operation, they decided to execute their plan immediately (on 21 December 2023). No other inmate knew about the search operation apart from the escapees.
“Another thing which makes me suspicious that this was an inside job is that we have a watchtower near that block which monitors movements. The inmates are not able to see if there is a person or not posted at the watchtower, but they managed to escape on the day when there was no one at the tower by walking straight to it. This says they were informed that it was safe for them to escape,” he said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Justice and Law, Richard Ramoeletsi, acknowledged that the LCS had no funds to address most of its needs including strengthening of the security apparatus.
He said unlike in the past financial year when his ministry was given a M50 million capital budget to improve infrastructure, this year it had only been given M10 Million.
“We have no money to address other needs like food, uniform, depleted infrastructures, and general living conditions of inmates in rehabilitation institutions.
“Juvenile and women centres also need rehabilitation, but we have no funds to do so,” he said.
Asked about the conditions at other jails across the country, Mr Ramoeletsi said there was a lot of overcrowding, lack of blankets and uniform for inmates, and leaking roofs.
He said inmates eat pap and sugar beans daily and had to stand up all night during rainy days due to leaking roofs.
He said they had however been given a budget to start sustainable projects which he hoped would help the LCS to feed inmates through their own produce.
He said a sewing project was also in the pipeline which will enable the institution to sew uniform for inmates and LCS officials.
Mr Ramoeletsi also recommended community service as punishment for first offenders of lighter crimes to reduce overcrowding in correctional facilities.
This he said would leave the institutions with a manageable number of inmates.
According to statistics released by LCS last week Thursday, the total population of inmates across the country is 2236, with 1982 males, 84 females, 90 juveniles and 80 of His Majesty’s Pleasure (mentally unstable).
Mr Ramoeletsi also said some inmates awaiting trial were often forgotten and therefore stayed at the rehabilitation centres longer than needed, causing overcrowding.
