MONDAY, 10.30AM
SOUTH Africa may acquire two Ukrainian-built floating hotels for use as prison boats, following a personal inspection of the vessels by Correctional Services Minister Sipo Mzimela.
The vessels will cost about R5-million each, with afurther R2-million required to transport them to SA and an additional R40-million to convert them into prisons, making them cheaper than conventional prisons, which cost about R150-million for a 600-prisoner facility.
The ships could house between 400 and 500 prisoners each and would be moored offshore, with sites off Durban and Simon’s Town under investigation.
Mzimela’s representative Bert Slabbert confirmed at the weekend that the Cabinet has given the minister the go-ahead for further negotiations on the possible purchase of the “flotels”.