Cape Town - It was not clear whether the stabbing of five warders at the Drakenstein prison, near Paarl, on Thursday was linked to a gang ritual, Western Cape correctional services said.
“The regional commissioner had to rush to the correctional facility in Drakenstein... as word came in that five of our members had been stabbed,” spokesman Simphiwe Xako said.
The five were seriously injured. One was stabbed in the chest and taken to hospital in Paarl. An investigation into the attack was underway.
Xako said correctional services was investigating whether Thursday's incident was linked to another attack at the Brandvlei prison in Worcester on Sunday, January 4, which was a suspected “spilling of blood” gang ritual.
Xako said the alleged ritual happened when prisoner Lubabalo Mzamo was given a sock with a padlock inside it, which he used to hit a prison warder over the head.
“Officials later had to restrain the charging offender by using necessary force, which led to him sustaining head injuries. He was later rushed to hospital for medical treatment,” it said.
Mzamo died in the Tygerberg Hospital after being in a coma for 10 days.
The Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services was investigating the matter.
Sapa