Port Elizabeth - An inmate was killed and an official hospitalized after a scuffle broke out at St Albans Prison Correctional Centre outside Port Elizabeth on Sunday morning.
According to insiders, the attack occurred at the Medium B Section of the prison for sentenced prisoners. Insiders said that a prison warder was stabbed in the neck.
Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said the crime scene has been cordoned off in order to give space to the police to gather evidence and conduct its own investigation.
Nxumalo said that was an unfortunate incident for Correctional Services department as over a few months back, "we had to deploy the National Task Team to St Albans in order to stabilise operations at this centre".
He said it was alleged that the inmate who initiated the attack had unfortunately passed on following a scuffle with the officials.
"Trauma counseling service has been deployed and the department will be monitoring the centre and strive that the situation is stabilised urgently," Nxumalo said.
He said the senior management of the department is on its way to St Albans where it will be briefed fully on the incident.
"A full investigation will be conducted as per the Correctional Services Act directives, and it will bring to the fore circumstances behind this tragic moment," Nxumalo said.