British G4S, world’s largest security company and London Olympic game security provider, is under fire for allegedly torturing, electroshocking and forcibly drugging inmates of a S. African prison. G4S, which was running the jail, denies the allegations.
The allegations emerged on October, 9 South when Africa’s Department of Correctional Services announced that it was taking over the management of 3,000 inmates at Mangaung correctional center as “the contractor [G4S] has lost effective control of the facility”. The decision was provoked by a series of stabbings, riots, strikes and a hostage taking in the prison.
Based on a year-long investigation, the Wits Justice Project (WJP) alleged cases of mistreatment and miscarriages of justice in South Africa’s prison.
Prisoners, warders and health care workers told WJP that involuntary medication was regularly practiced.
Allegations of drugging inmates have been also supported by a footage that was uncovered during a research project conducted at the Mangaung Correctional Centre near Bloemfontein, roughly 400 km from Johannesburg.
The video, shot on July, 24, allegedly depicts what researchers say is electrocution and inmates having medication forced upon them.
It was leaked after the South African government had taken over control of the facility after G4S dismissed 330 warders following strikes in August and September.
Shot by the prison’s emergency security team (EST), which is legally tasked to film all its actions, the video shows inmate Bheki Dlamini, serving a 21-year sentence for armed robbery, being injected involuntarily.