Correctional Services national spokesperson, Logan Maistry, said that according to reports from their Eastern Cape officials, at around 9am “inmates attacked Correctional Services officials with sharp objects.”
He said as a result three inmates died while 25 offenders and five officials were injured.
Maistry confirmed that the Correctional Services officials had been stabbed.
He said the investigation into the incident is still ongoing.
Maistry said that the Deputy Minister of Correctional Services and the Correctional Services Commissioner, Zak Modise, will visit St Albans on Tuesday.
It is not the first time that violent events have occurred at this prison. The DA says incidents like this cannot go unaccounted for.
The DA has written to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services to request the Minister to appear before the Committee as soon as possible at the start of 2017 to account to Parliament for the events.
