THE South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) has called on government to immediately terminate G4S' contract at Mangaung Prison and nationalise the facility.
This after the security company was accused of failing to account or take responsibility for Thabo Bester's escape, and for their members' involvement in the escape.
Saftu general-secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said considering what happened regarding the Bester saga, they can say with utmost conviction that these privately operated prisons are not in any way beneficial to society.
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“The prevailing myths that privately run institutions are efficient, competent and cost-effective for government have been shattered by the Thabo Bester saga, other reports of abuse of inmates and the revelations of how much government spends in these Private-Public Partnerships,” said Vavi.
He said G4S' answers to a Parliamentary committee on Wednesday, 12 April were not satisfactory and most them were evasive.
Vavi said such evasive answering aimed to hide incompetency and inefficiency, as well as hide a web of corruption that goes beyond the Bester saga.
“It is clear now that Bester was helped by prison wardens and that thereafter, some of these prison wardens helped to conceal the evidence.
“How the corpse was smuggled into the prison, the accelerant and failure of some digital video recorders were placed at critical corridors all attest to one thing, Thabo Bester was helped and not by one warden, but by several of them, including the negligence of others,” he said.
Vavi also called on parliamentarians to recommend the immediate termination of G4S' contract of the Department of Correctional Services and the subsequent takeover of the facility by government.
