Cape Town – A suspended warden at Pollsmoor Prison is at the centre of yet another scandal after a video surfaced on social media showing him displaying an array of 28 gang signs. This latest incident comes just a month after another video of the same warden, Bruce Van Rensburg, allegedly negotiating with an inmate to overlook the possession of a cell phone, was debated in Parliament.
The alleged corrupt dealings of officials at Pollsmoor Prison have been thrust back into the spotlight with this new footage. The initial video, which featured Van Rensburg alongside Kyle du Toit, an alleged gangster from Hanover Park, ignited a social media storm and prompted Members of Parliament to question Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald.
Following the initial video, images emerged of Du Toit posing for selfies with his girlfriend while incarcerated. Van Rensburg was subsequently suspended pending investigation. Du Toit now faces criminal charges after a case was registered against him at Kirstenhof SAPS.
In the video posted this Monday, a woman identifying herself as Du Toit's girlfriend stated her intention to make the video of Van Rensburg go "viral".
The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has confirmed that Du Toit is no longer permitted to receive visitations as the investigation continues. DCS spokesperson, Logan Maistry, stated that the video is not new.
He explained: "The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) confirms that all visitations to the Pollsmoor inmate, implicated in a TikTok video allegedly displaying negotiation for further use of the device, have since been duly suspended. Additionally, the official implicated has since been suspended pending finalisation of the investigation currently underway."
Meanwhile, DA MP Nicholas Gotsell, a member of the Select Committee on Security and Justice, has stated that they are seeking clarity on whether the warden will face criminal charges.
He says: "The video depicts the warden extorting a c-voucher [correctional services currency] in exchange for not confiscating the phone."
"Whilst a reply to a Parliamentary Question posed by the DA has indicated that a case was open with the Kirstenhof police station, clarity has been sought in respect of the act of extortion which was committed by the warden – as is depicted in the TikTok video."
Gotsell emphasised the need for accountability, stating: "There must be consequences for transgressing inmates and wardens alike." The ongoing investigation and the surfacing of this new video continue to raise serious questions about corruption and ethical conduct within Pollsmoor Prison.
