Pretoria Central Prison
Pretoria Central Prison, renamed Kgosi Mampuru II Management Area by former President
The complex comprises six correctional centres, including the notorious
History
1948-1991: Apartheid era
During the apartheid years, the huge complex was often known incorrectly as "Pretoria Central". In fact, there were three separate clusters of prisons: Pretoria Central Prison proper, Pretoria (Local) Prison and a third known only as "Maximum" or "Beverley Hills". The latter was the ultra-maximum-security section. There were also housing and recreational facilities for the prison wardens. divided into separate prisons for males and females of different racial classifications. It was on what was then Potgieter Street, later renamed Kgosi Mampuru Street.[4][5]
Pretoria Central Prison was the official site of capital punishment in South Africa during the apartheid era. Condemned prisoners were held in a section of the prison called "The Pot".[6] At one time, the prison gallows could hang up to seven people at a time.[7]
Pretoria Central proper consisted of a number of separate prison buildings, each housing various divisions of prisoners based on racial classification and gender. This was a national prison and reception centre where many prisoners started and ended their sentences.[4]
Pretoria Prison, or Pretoria Local, housed local prisoners (split by race) as well as having a maximum-security section for white political prisoners (black political prisoners being held in
The old Pretoria Local Prison building was demolished around 1978 after other buildings had been built adjacent to it.[8]
1979 escape
In 1979 white political prisoners Tim Jenkin, Alex Moumbaris and Stephen Lee escaped from "the Local". After this escape, the building in which they had been held was completely refurbished with increased security features.[9]
Post-apartheid
2006: C Max escape
In November 2006 Annanias Mathe became the first prisoner to escape from the C Max part of the prison complex.[10] He was recaptured two weeks after his escape.[11]
2013: renaming
The complex was renamed Kgosi Mampuru II Management Area by President Jacob Zuma on 13 April 2013.[1]
2017: riot
A prison warden and an inmate were injured during a prison riot in July 2017, after prisoners' concerns over delays in processing parole applications, poor food, overcrowding and violence by wardens were sent in a memorandum to the justice minister Michael Masutha, who had been Minister of Justice and Correctional Services since 2014.[12]
Composition
The complex comprises six correctional centres, and includes a women's prison and Pretoria Local Prison.[2]
The
C Max
Location | Pretoria, South Africa |
---|---|
Coordinates | 25°45′40″S 28°10′55″E / 25.761°S 28.182°E |
Security class | Maximum |
Population | 100 |
Managed by | Department of Correctional Services (South Africa) |
Warden | Zhile Mbiza |
C Max is the
Prison escape
In November 2006,
Notable inmates
- Alex Moumbaris - political prisoner who escaped in 1979.
- Bantu Steve Biko- anti-apartheid activist died here in 1977.
- Bram Fischer - lawyer and anti-apartheid activist who died of cancer in 1975 while serving a life sentence.
- Butana Almond Nofomela - former South African security policeman.
- Dave Kitson - anti-apartheid campaigner and Little Rivonia Trialist.
- Denis Goldberg - anti-apartheid campaigner and Rivonia Trialist.
- Dorethea van der Merwe - In 1921, the first woman to be hanged for murder; was hanged at Pretoria central.
- Daisy de Melker – In 1932, the second woman to be hanged for murder; was hanged at Pretoria central.
- Jeremy Cronin - writer, poet, and anti-apartheid activist.
- John Matthews - anti-apartheid campaigner and Little Rivonia Trialist.
- Looksmart Ngudle – political activist.
- an attempt at a coup in the Seychelles.
- Nelson Mandela - held in pre-trial cells in Pretoria Local (in cells no longer standing).[14]
- Oscar Pistorius - sentenced to five years for culpable homicide on 21 October 2014, he was released on 19 October 2015.[15] After his conviction was changed to murder in December 2015, Pistorius was sentenced to six years imprisonment on 6 July 2016. He left the prison in November 2016 after being transferred to the Atteridgeville Correction Centre.[16]
- Raymond Suttner - academic, writer, and anti-apartheid activist.
- Solomon Ngobeni - the last person to be executed by the government of South Africa.
- Umkhonto we Sizwe(MK).
- Stephen Lee - political prisoner who escaped in 1979.
- Tim Jenkin - political prisoner who escaped in 1979.
- Vuyisile Mini - unionist, Umkhonto we Sizwe activist, singer and one of the first African National Congress members to be executed by apartheid South Africa.
- Winnie Madikizela-Mandela - anti-Apartheid activist.
C Max inmates
- Annanias Mathe - Serial rapist and robber.
- Clive Derby-Lewis - Assassin.
- Dimitri Tsafendas - Assassin.
- Eugene de Kock - Commanding officer of C10, a counter-insurgency unit of the South African Police which functioned as a death squad for the apartheid government.
- Janusz Waluś - Assassin.[17]
- Moses Sithole - Serial killer and rapist.
- Radovan Krejčíř - Czech former billionaire; organized crime boss.[18]
- Sipho Thwala - Serial killer and rapist.
- Thabo Bester - Serial rapist, murderer and prison escapee.
References
- ^ a b "Pretoria prison renamed after hanged man". News24. 13 April 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- ^ a b c d Makatile, Don (10 July 2016). "Pics: Welcome to Pretoria's biggest prison". iol.za. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- ^ "Royal remembrance for slain Kgoshikgolo Mampuru II of the Bapedi". Department of Correctional Services. Republic of South Africa. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ^ a b c Jenkin, Tim (1987). "Escape from Pretoria" (PDF). South African History Online. pp. 67–69. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
- ^ "Pretoria, City of Tshwane: Pretoria's New Street Names". ShowMe. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
- ISBN 0-312-17617-1.
- ^ "Before the Hangman Arrives". Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, South African Journal on Human Rights. 1989.
- ^ Jenkin, Tim (1987). "Escape from Pretoria" (PDF). South African History Online. p. 76. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
- ^ Jenkin, Tim (1987). "Escape from Pretoria" (PDF). South African History Online. p. 189. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
- ^ a b BBC News (2006-11-20). "S Africa manhunt after jailbreak". Retrieved 2006-11-20.
- ^ a b BBC News (2006-12-04). "S Africa's 'most-wanted' caught". Retrieved 2006-12-04.
- ^ Pijoos, Iavan (3 July 2017). "Kgosi Mampuru II warder and prisoner injured during riot". News24. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- IOL. Retrieved 2018-07-01.
- ^ City of Tshwane. "The Mandela way (draft)" (PDF). Tshwane Heritage Tours. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
- ^ "Pistorius released under house arrest". BBC News. 20 October 2015.
- ^ "Pistorius sentenced to six years in jail". BBC News. 6 July 2016.
- ^ Tlhabye, Goitsemang (7 October 2019). "Advocate says Janusz Walus rehabilitated, simply being subjected to political bias". IOL. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
- ^ "Krejcir transferred to maximum security amid escape fears". news24.com. 5 January 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2016.