Inkatha Freedom Party Statement By:
MS SYBIL SEATON MP
IFP CORRECTIONAL SERVICES SPOKESPERSON  

8 December 2007

The Inkatha Freedom Party is extremely pleased with a decision made by the Cape Town Labour Court on Friday that will see whistleblowing doctor, Paul Theron, return to work on Monday.

It is clear that the main reason for Theron's removal from Pollsmoor was that he had embarrassed the Health and Correctional Services Departments by highlighting the dire, inhumane health conditions at Pollsmoor prison.

Dr Theron was shown the door by his employer, the Western Cape Department of Health, in July this year, after telling the Inspecting Judge of Prisons and a parliamentary committee about what he said was an acute health care crisis at Pollsmoor, including chronic understaffing and lack of disease control.

Pollsmoor prison is probably one of the most dangerous and notorious prisons in South Africa. Pollsmoor has the capacity to accommodate about 4000 inmates but often has to accommodate up to 8000 inmates, which means that there is severe overcrowding. Communal cells which are meant to hold 18 men have been reported to have held between 40 and 60. A 2002 human rights probe into the conditions at Pollsmoor found that there was one warden for every 50 inmates and only one nurse for every 800 inmates.

The severe overcrowding means that facilities and personnel are stretched to the limit. So it is an absolute disgrace that Dr Theron, who was merely highlighting facts, was removed from his job for speaking the truth.

A whistleblower has the right to employment and has the right to be protected from abuse.

Removing staff from their positions or trying to silence whistleblowers will not solve the huge problems that beset Pollsmoor and several other prisons across the country.

The actions by the Health and Correctional Services Departments have been reprehensible and hopefully this ruling will serve as a deterrent to these departments from acting in this manner again.

For further information contact: 

Ms Sybil Seaton MP: 083-412-0075
Liezl van der Merwe: 083-611-7470