British security firm G4S, which runs Bloemfontein’s Mangaung prison, has denied lawyers access to a prisoner who claims to have been shot in the head with a rubber bullet by a warder.
The reason given by the prison is that the inmate, BM (he cannot be named), doesn’t know the lawyers who work for the Legal Resources Centre (LRC).
Several months ago, prisoner Captain Rampa contacted the Wits Justice Project about the plight of his friend and cellmate, BM.
Rampa wrote that on September 16 2013, BM had lost sight in his left eye as a result of being shot in the head with a rubber bullet. The Wits Justice Project has seen medical files and internal prison communications confirming these injuries …
Sayi Nindi, an LRC attorney, said:
“Our clients have compelling cases of torture against G4S and the DCS. The harm they suffered completely goes against our Constitution. We hope the courts can grant them justice.”
In the case of prisoner BM, it is the third time G4S has barred prisoners from accessing legal counsel.
First published in Mail & Guardian.
Photo: Mail & Guardian