Maseru, Sept. 09 – – Bitterness is one of the things that makes the recruits pour out their anger on inmates.
This was said by Correctional Officer Tumelo Makhunoane when making submissions before the Commission of Inquiry on the escape of inmates, on the search exercise that was conducted at Maseru Central Correctional Institution (MCCI) on December 22, 2023, which resulted in the assault of inmates, leaving one paralysed.
Officer Makhunoane said they lack motivation as they earn little salary and have since been promised it would be reviewed.
“It has been five years since we arrived at the institution and promised every month that our salaries would be increased,” he said.
He further assured the Commission that what befell them on the above mentioned date would never happen again as it was unnecessary for them to have used force when searching inmates.
In another issue, Officer Makhunoane was implicated earlier by a number of inmates in their testimonies before the Commission by disclosing that they saw him in Block C when inmates were assaulted.
However, he insisted that he was not in that block during the search,” I only did the search in block A and maximum” he stressed.
Commenting on this matter, the Commission’s Chairperson Justice Realeboha Mathaba reminded Makhunoane that he did not cross examine inmates who insisted he was in block C when he was given a chance to do so.
Meanwhile, both officers and their superiors earlier indicated in their testimonies that they have lost morale due to salaries, which have not been reviewed for years and more little as compared to that of other security agencies.
The recruits are continuing to testify before the Commission on the search exercise that was conducted on December 22, 2023.
Ends
