Chaos Breaks Out at Boksburg Prison As Guards Fire Rubber Bullets at Inmates Who Barricaded Gates

• Inmates and prison guards at Boksburg Correctional Services in Johannesburg went head-to-head on Monday, 2 January
• The Department of Correctional Services says the prison officials fired rubber bullets at inmates who did not want to be searched
• However, inmates have posted videos on social media claiming that the officials fired at them for no reason

BOKSBURG - The Boksburg Correctional Services in Johannesburg descended into chaos on Monday, 2 January after prison guards fired rubber bullets at inmates.

The prisoners are said to have been unruly and threw rocks and stones at prison officials, which caused them to retaliate in an effort to restore order.

The chaos all began when inmates barricaded a sectional gate to prevent prison guards from searching them, according to TimesLIVE. Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo stated that order had been restored at the correctional facility.

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Nxumalo explained that the inmates were not happy with a mandatory search operation led by the department's national task team as part of its festive season security operation.

However, inmates have disputed this version of events and claimed that rubber bullets were fired at them while they were playing soccer.

A video clip of an inmate explaining his injuries has been circulating online and the prisoner stated that he had no idea why rubber bullets were fired at them.

Nxumalo stated that the department is aware of the footage circulating on social media. He added inmates were merely trying to make a mockery of the correctional services by posting those videos using contraband items.

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Nxumalo further stated that the inmates who posted videos have identified themselves and the contraband will be seized.

Families worried about the safety of inmates at Boksburg prison

An anonymous family told SABC News that he was alarmed about what happened at the Boksburg prison.

The man stated that the prison guard's conduct was inhumane and that they should not have fired teargas and pepper spray in such an enclosed area.

Prisoner rights activist, Glynis Marriday stated that the conduct of the prison guards will be reported to the South African Human Rights Commission on the allegation of abuse.

Prison raid unearths traditional meds, cellphones and dagga worth R12 000

Briefly News previously reported that officials at the Qalakabusha Correctional Centre in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal went on a prison raid on Tuesday morning.

They were able to confiscate a number of illegal items such as cell phones, traditional medicine and drugs.

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According to SABC News, officials seized dagga with a street value of R12 000 as well as more than 30 cell phones. Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale, Acting National Correctional Services Commissioner, was part of the team that conducted the raid.

Source: Briefly News