The IFP in KZN has called for the immediate arrest of a Westville Prison warder who returned to work despite testing positive for the coronavirus.
The case was the first to be recorded at the prison, according to a warder.
IFP spokesman on safety and liaison in the province, Blessed Gwala, said the man apparently escaped from hospital quarantine.
He said he returned to work but never told his superiors.
Gwala said the alarm was raised by a doctor he visited next to the prison residence, which he shared with 60 warders.
He said the doctor alerted prison officials, who immediately removed the man and took him to quarantine.
“The man was selfish and must be arrested and charged with attempted murder. We call on health or correctional service departments to immediately attend to the issue,” said Gwala.
A warder told Daily Sun there was lot of panic in the prison.
She said the man went home in Estcourt in the KZN Midlands last week when he was off duty.
When he returned to work he didn’t disclose anything to the supervisor until Friday when the prison received a call from a private doctor looking for the man to give him his result.
The source said the doctor told the supervisor the man had come to him because he was symptomatic. After testing he advised him to quarantine himself until he got his results.
She said the doctor was checking because he suspected the man never went on quarantine. He was no longer taking calls.
The doctor had said the man was positive. The man was immediately removed, but warders and prisoners feared they all had the virus.
Correctional services spokesman Singabakho Nxumalo said there are two coronavirus cases in KZN prisons. He refused to say where because of stigmatisation.
About the warder who allegedly spread the virus deliberately, Nxumalo wouldn’t give details on how the cases were contracted.
