Pretoria - A prisoner who for more than six months begged Correctional Services to allow his private doctor to see him in prison, was found dead at the weekend in his communal cell at the Polokwane Prison.
The family of Johan van Niekerk,78, is now seeking answers from Correctional Services national commissioner Zach Modise. The traumatised family want to know why he was not allowed to see his doctor, and why prison officials apparently demanded his family pay R5 417 to facilitate the private doctor’s visit.
This is despite an undertaking by the family that they would foot the medical bill, Van Niekerk’s attorney, Julian Knight, said.
Van Niekerk had served five years of a 15-year sentence for murder, but his case was due to go on appeal. Knight said the cause of his client’s death was not clear. “He had been suffering from ill health for months and had extremely high blood pressure. He did not get proper medical attention in prison. He wanted his private doctor to examine him.”
Knight said his client completed the application form to have his doctor visit him and it was made clear to the department that his family would fully pay his medical bill.
Permission was never granted. Instead, he was called into the office of the head of the prison, who allegedly shouted abuse at him. His doctor was also denied permission to see him.
“My client was told he would have to arrange for a visit to his doctor’s office and would have to pay the cost of five warders to accompany him, plus foot the bill for their lunch. Under no circumstances would his doctor be allowed to visit him on the prison premises, he was told.”
Knight said he wrote numerous letters over the past few months to the head of the prison, asking why his client could not see his own doctor. Van Niekerk’s medical condition meanwhile deteriorated by the day.
“I never got any replies to my letters, not even after I threatened the department to obtain an urgent court order for permission to see the doctor.”
Knight said Van Niekerk was eventually told in July he could see his doctor in prison, provided he paid the officials R5 417 to facilitate the visit. The lawyer then wrote numerous letters to the head of the prison, asking what the purpose of this money was. “I am still awaiting an answer to any of my letters.”
Following the death of Van Niekerk, Knight wrote a letter to the commissioner stating the family demanded a formal inquiry into the death, and the officials' conduct. He has not yet received a response. The Pretoria News also asked the department for comment, but in vain.
Pretoria News