CHILDREN IN PRISON
Doctors who have visited children in prison have urged the authorities to empty the prisons of children.
The doctors stated that 'It is a totally unacceptable situation to have children incarcerated in prisons.' Children seen by the doctors ranged in age from 10 to 20 years. Many were being held on charges of public violence.
Three juveniles had been awaiting trial for 11 months and others for similar lengths of time; many had been awaiting trial for over two months. The doctors' impression of the conditions for awaiting trial juveniles was that one week in some prisons was enough to engender 'permanent psychological effects, deep resentment, habits of criminality and loss of faith in the system of justice.'
Few children knew their legal rights and some had no knowledge that legal representation was possible to arrange. On medical matters they said that the follow-ups of notifications of injuries sustained while in police custody were not thoroughly pursued.
Generally the conditions under which detainees and awaiting trial prisoners were held were worse than those for sentenced prisoners. Certain cells they visited were vastly overcrowded.
There was no privacy, no radios, no library, little recreation, limited visiting and no social services. (S Trib 6.7.86)
The number of children in prison has risen markedly since July 1985 as many detainees are held in prisons rather than in police cells. The Minister of Law and Order announced that during 1985 13,556 of the 18,966 people arrested for 'unrest-related' offences were under the age of 20. During the State of Emergency which lasted from July 1985 until February, 2,016 children under the age of 16 were detained. Some were held with adult criminals, some in solitary confinement and many were beaten, abused and intimidated, according to the Child Welfare Society. (Star 12.6.86, 7.7.86)
The Minister of Justice revealed that at the end of January 1,864 males and 152 females under the age of 18 were being held as unsentenced prisoners. A further 2,860 male and 176 female juveniles were being held as sentenced prisoners. Sixty four per cent were African children, 34 per cent Coloured, two per cent white and one per cent Indian. A total of 2,644 children under the age of three years were imprisoned with their mothers during 1985; 253 were physically and emotionally dependent. (Cit 28.2.86; WM 4.4.86)
RELEASES
The following people have been released from prison in recent months:
- Moffat ZUNGU. Released on 27 January. Sentenced to seven years in June 1979 for taking part in 'terrorist' activities, conspiring to overthrow the state and furthering the aims of the PAC. (FOCUS 23 p.8; S 28 1.86)
- Alfred METELE. Released in April. Sentenced to one year for public violence following the stoning of a motorcade of the Ciskei bandtustan leader, Lennox Sebe. (City Press 13.4.86)
- James Edward APRIL (46). Released on 9 May. Sentenced to 15 years in 1971 for undergoing military training, fighting the Rhodesian forces with the intention of making his way to South Africa, communicating with a 'subversive organisation' and entering the country illegally. (CT 10.5.86; DN 13.5.86; Prisoners of Apartheid, 1978, IDAF, p 6)
- Luyanda MPHALWA (27). Mzuyikile HADI (21), Mabhuti MPONTSANA (23), and Sibulelo MTHANZA (22). Released on 30 May. Mphalwa was gaoled for four years for refusing to testify against Patrick MAQUBELA, an ANC activist sentenced for high treason in 1982. The others were each sentenced to five years in 1981 for sabotage. (FOCUS 43 p.2. S 14.5.86)
