Durban - A burst water pipe at Westville Prison left inmates without flushing toilets and fresh drinking water for up to two days.
“The cells are in a state. Our situation is pathetic. Someone needs to intervene to save us from this hell,” said one prisoner before the problem was resolved.
Added another: “This is a crisis for most of us who are on ARVs (antiretrovirals).”
The water shortage sparked hygiene fears with several inmates complaining they had been unable to bath or use the toilet.
The prisoners, who contacted the Daily News, claimed the toilets were overflowing.
“We are overcrowded in one cell with one toilet for all of us. It is bad enough when the toilets cannot flush, but the stench in the cells is unbearable,” said one prisoner in the Medium B section.
Relief finally came on Saturday when the pipe was fixed. But the prisoners said the supply was intermittent.
Another prisoner said that during the water cuts on Friday, they were fed only five slices of bread instead of a cooked meal.
“No one cares,” he said.
“We understand there is a problem with the (pipeline) valves. If the problem is not solved soon, all sorts of sicknesses are going to break out.”
Prisoners said water started running through taps on Saturday morning, but it was for a short time before it stopped.
“We could only manage to wash our faces,” one said.
“Most of the prisoners are on ARV medication. We are drinking water that we had kept in bottles and flasks for hot days.”
The prisoners claimed their pleas for fresh water supplies were ignored.
However, the acting regional head of the Department of Correctional Services, Nombuso Mkhize, said only the drinking water line was affected and the problem had been rectified.
“The storage tanks went dry after a pipe burst. But an alternative method of supplying water to residents was used. The municipality assisted with water tanks.
“The matter was reported to Public Works and it was attended to as an emergency,” Mkhize said.
“It took the contractor 33 hours to restore water. The delay was caused by complications in accessing the burst pipe and sourcing parts for effecting the repairs.”
The burst pipe was caused by “normal wear and tear”, she said.
Mkhize said prisoners had been informed of the problem.
A prison warder, who spoke on condition of anonymity on Sunday, confirmed that water had been restored on Saturday.
An inmate said while prison authorities had claimed water was available from tankers, it had not been made available to them.
Daily News