LISTEN | Prisoners ‘vote for the society they want’: minister Lamola encourages inmate enfranchisement

Prisoners at the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Facility were happy to exercise their right to vote on Wednesday, with hope of one day being able to re-enter a society better than the one they left.

The inmates, in their respective uniforms, queued inside the correctional facility to cast their votes.

“I am very grateful for casting my vote because I believe it will make a change in someone's life, including my own,” said Charles Zwane, who has been in prison since 2004 for a gang rape committed when he was 19.

“I believe there are certain things that need to be fixed as much as there are good things that have been done over the 30 years of democracy.”

Zwane would like to see younger politicians stepping up.

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“I highly respect the people who fought for the struggle, but I believe we need young blood, people who are educated and have a good vision for the future. We need such people to come into power and make changes, with the assistance of those who are experienced.

“There are youth who have good qualifications, but they are sitting doing nothing. Those people need to be given a chance to run the country. It does not help to educate people and make them sit at home without creating jobs,” he said.

Zwane said the proliferation of drugs in society requires urgent attention.

“I am not justifying, but most of us here were under the influence of drugs, specially the young ones. I am a product of juvenile [prison], I grew up here. Our crimes were influenced by drugs.”

Luyanda Ntantiso, 37, who is serving time for sexual assault, was sentenced in 2010 when he was 23 years old. 

“It's my second time voting behind bars. I wasn't sure at first who to vote for. Now that I voted, I am happy I contributed towards change in South Africa, even though I am wearing this uniform.

“I decided to vote for the ANC this time. I decided to give them a chance, to say 'guys here is another chance, go fix your house, put your house in order, because Nelson Mandela fought for this freedom'.

“Thanks to Mandela I am able to vote and study behind bars.”

While incarcerated he has studied and looks forward to being reintegrated into society.

When that happens, he wants he and his family and " see the world,” armed with a LLB degree and specialising in international human rights law and media law.

Tebogo Sedie, incarcerated for murder and sexual assault, said: “Since I have been here, my rights are limited, but this one I am very happy I can utilise. I am happy to be among South Africans who are voting today.”

Improved service delivery and unemployment are the issues he cares about.

Justice and correctional services minister Ronald Lamola said he hopes inmates will come out in numbers to vote in the 2024 polls.

“Our eligible number of voters is 17,129 and in Gauteng, which is the highest in the country, it is 4,879. At Kgosi Mampuru, it's 2,908, which is the highest [individual facility] in the country.

“We believe they must also participate in democratic elections. We don't agree they should be disenfranchised because voting is for every human. Whether prisoner or not, that human being deserves their democratic right to have a voice.

“Some will be released one day, so they need to participate in the direction of their country, in the political life of their country. It is also a process of rehabilitation because they are participating in constructing the society they want.” 

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