Several dozen inmates at the Klerksdorp prison have gone on an indefinite hunger strike, the SA Prisoners' Organisation for Human Rights (Sapohr) said on Thursday.
The prisoners apparently refused to leave their cells at mealtime in the morning and indicated that they were planing to go on a hunger strike.
Sapohr spokesperson Golden Miles Bhudu said prison authorities refused to give the organisation more information about the situation. He said Sapohr was informed of the hunger strike by prisoners who contacted the organisation.
He said the prisoners have a list of grievances, which includes food deprivation, denial of medical attention and revoking of release dates.
Department of correctional services spokesperson Manelisi Wolela said a group of less than 30 inmates were protesting against the parole conditions of one of the inmates.
He said there was one inmate who received parole and another who was refused parole, but the situation was not the same.
"We will investigate what happened at the prison," he said adding that inmates needed to understand how parole conditions worked. - Sapa