Mapisa-Nqakula says SA prisons overcrowded, won't be safe for her

JOHANNESBURG - During the bail application of her corruption case, former correctional services minister, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, said that the country’s overcrowded prisons would not be safe for her. 

Mapisa-Nqakula, who oversaw the country’s prisons for three years between 2009 and 2012, said they were unhygienic, riddled with disease, crime and sexual violence. 

On Thursday, she made her first appearance in her corruption case where she was released on unopposed bail of R50,000. 

Mapisa-Nqakula is charged with 12 counts of corruption and one of money laundering relating to allegedly receiving R4.5 million in kickbacks from a defence contractor when she was defence minister.
 
In her court affidavit, Mapisa-Nqakula, said it would have been an infringement of her constitutional rights to be sent behind bars pending the finalisation of her case. 

She said that institutional failure had led to South Africa’s prisons not having adequate medical and ablution facilities.

Advocate Graham Kerr-Phillips presented Mapisa-Nqakula’s affidavit to court.

"Basic constitutional rights prescribed by the law, a minimum of one hour's exercise per day are simply ignored due to the understaffing and overcrowding. The over-arching impression is that South African prisons are incapable of any form of rehabilitation because correctional services staff are simply overwhelmed by the task of preventing inmates from killing each other."

In granting her bail, Magistrate Anna Oosthuizen said the court took into account Mapisa-Nqakula's health and advanced age.