Sun City prison raid was reactive, says independent analyst

Independent researcher and political analyst, Sizwe SikaMusi, says the Department of Correctional Services were not in any way proactive by raiding a prison in Johannesburg on Wednesday, 24 July, “but reactive and the ensuing disproportionate uproar was as artificial as the raids themselves.”

Sizwe made the remarks following social media hype about the new Minister of Correctional Services, Pieter Groenewald, seemingly doing a great job when compared to his predecessors.

On Wednesday night, officials from the department conducted raids at the Johannesburg Correctional Service Centre, also known as Sun City prison, which led to the discovery of a significant number of contraband, including cellphones, laptops, TVs, PlayStations, and other prohibited electronics, as well as makeup and sex toys.

Reacting to the social media hype, Sizwe told Vulankungu that raids in prisons across the country have been common over the years.

“The hype around the latest ones was sparked by a video of an inmate bragging about how nice things were on the inside. Predictably, social media was excited by this,” he pointed out.

National Correctional Services Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale explained that the raid was part of the clean-up operation which they have been engaged in for the past three months in different correctional facilities.

“These are correctional facilities that we have identified based on the information that we have been able to ascertain. We are actually, doing a search for contraband. Objects that are not allowed in the correctional facility, especially in the cells.”

Sizwe also noted that virtually every raid before has been in the news, stressing that the public is aware of such activities. The difference is that this time, he added, “there’s a need to justify Groenewald’s appointment and sanitise his shady Apartheid past.”

“I can’t say if people were paid to sing praises. However, the coordinated posts from the biggest Twitter [now known as X] influencer accounts all heaping praise on Pieter Groenewald using similar wording have the traits of a regular paid campaign,” Sizwe highlighted.

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