Dr. Nandipha Magudumana’s attorney, Machini Motloung, is urging for her relocation to a different prison cell following an alleged assault over the weekend.
According to Motloung, Magudumana reported being assaulted and sustaining bruises, prompting concerns about her safety. She is presently detained at the Kroonstad Correctional Centre in the Free State.
The assault allegedly involved a sangoma and a mentally-ill inmate, with tensions escalating during communal singing and prayer sessions within the cell, as per Motloung’s account.
Motloung emphasized the need for Magudumana’s transfer to a safer environment, stressing previous threats and complaints made to authorities which went unresolved.
While the Department of Correctional Services spokesperson, Singabakho Nxumalo, claims no formal complaints have been received, Motloung intends to lodge a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission to ensure Magudumana’s protection.
Furthermore, Nxumalo refuted allegations of mentally challenged inmates being housed with others, noting their placement under the Department of Health’s jurisdiction.
Despite earlier claims of police assault during transit to court, Nxumalo denies police involvement, citing no official complaints or medical reports.
Magudumana faces charges as a co-accused in the Thabo Bester prison escape case, with Bester currently held at Kgosi Mampuru II prison in Pretoria.