The government is concerned by reports that the risk of infectious diseases was high in prisons as a result of rapes, Health Minister Manto Tshabalala Msimang said on Sunday.
She said the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Aids were reported to be high in prisons, especially among male inmates, because of unsafe sexual behaviour and rape cases that were reported.
”We as the African National Congress (ANC) and as government do not sleep when we hear such information,” the minister said. ”We know very well that the risk of HIV infection is high amongst men who have sex with other men. This is a situation that we, as ANC-led government, cannot allow to continue unchecked.”
Tshabalala-Msimang was addressing inmates at Westville Prison in Durban as part of the Human Rights Day celebrations.
The minister said an investigation by the Jali Commission of Inquiry into human rights abuse at prisons had made disturbing revelations. The picture painted so far by this commission was grim, she said.
”While human rights abuses among inmates can not be condoned, the situation becomes even grimmer when we hear allegations of collusion of prison warders, the human right protectors in prisons, being implicated in these acts.
”We need to put an end to this. We need to find some way of addressing the reported cases of rape in prison and other violations of human rights.”
Tshabalala-Msimang said the government had to deal with the challenge of prisons overcrowding as this put prisoners at greater risk of contracting infectious diseases.
Tuberculosis (TB) was one of the major challenges facing South Africa and the spread of the disease was high in areas where there was overcrowding, she said.
”The department is looking at coming up with TB controlling programmes that are focused at specific groups and areas like prisons and workplaces,” she said.
”This will assist in getting people in these places who can be trained to assist those with TB to take their tablets correctly and complete the course.” – Sapa