Dear Editor
The Democratic Alliance (DA) strongly condemns the appalling abuse of force that allegedly led to the death of inmate, Quinton Fortuin, at the Goodwood Correctional Facility.
The DA has formally written to the Chairperson of the Select Committee on Security and Justice to request that this matter be tabled for urgent investigation in Committee. We will also continue to pursue answers from both the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Correctional Services through a Parliamentary probe.
According to the preliminary report by the JICS (Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services), Fortuin allegedly attacked a correctional official with a sharpened object during the morning unlocking and counting process. Wardens reportedly used force to subdue him and called for back-up, yet after Fortuin was disarmed and incapacitated, lying on the ground, the assault by wardens continued. He was struck repeatedly with “tonfas” (batons) and a dog was unleashed on him.
This was not self-defence; it was retaliatory violence. Fortuin was transported to Karl Bremer Hospital where he was declared dead shortly after arrival. The Postmortem further noted that he was significantly underweight.
The South African Police Services have confirmed they are investigating a murder docket.
The DA has noted serious inconsistencies between the SAPS version of events and the details contained in the JICS and postmortem reports – such as the date and time of the incident. We seek urgent answers from the JICS, including why Fortuin was found wearing only boxer shorts and what happened to his clothing, who deployed the dog and under what protocol and who had given hospital staff a contradictory version that fellow inmates attacked Fortuin.
Reports have also surfaced that inmates were allegedly made to clean the crime scene before SAPS forensic investigators arrived, further heightening suspicions of foul play.
Staffing failures must also be confronted. On the day of Fortuin’s death, 95 officials were expected to manage over 2,400 inmates — a dangerous situation rooted in structural under-resourcing by the Department of Correctional Services. These conditions create chaos and do not encourage correction or rehabilitation.
It is telling that in a prison system drowning in drugs — with 175 kilograms of dagga, 1,482 grams of tik, 18,082 mandrax tablets and 14 fragile tik pipes (“tik lollies”) confiscated in Western Cape prisons over the past year – dogs are not deployed to break the drug economy that fuels the Cape Flats’ bloodshed. Instead, they are used to maul inmates.
We will pursue the matter to completion and ensure accountability for any wrongdoing.
Regards
Nicholas Gotsell MP
DA NCOP Member on Security & Justice