Winde, Hill-Lewis, Groenewald meet to discuss prison gangs

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald and Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis have met to discuss prison gangs.

Wednesday's conversation centred on working together on a number of initiatives to significantly reduce the ability of gangs to operate with impunity within correctional facilities.

Winde said that further details could not be disclosed for security reasons.

"We had a frank conversation around the efforts to combat gangsterism and organised crime in the Western Cape, with specific reference to the prison system. The conversations centred around how we work together on a number of initiatives to make sure that we find ways to reduce the ability of gangs to operate with impunity within the province's correctional service facilities."

He added that follow-up engagements would take place over the coming months.

"It was a constructive engagement and we will continue working together. This is how we will bring down crime, by working together across all three spheres of government, making sure that we're getting the policing right, the violence prevention right, making sure that we are getting convictions in our courts and then of course, that the prison system is not enabling the gangs."

Late in October, three high-ranking gang members died and two officials were wounded in an attack at Pollsmoor Prison.