Voting: Not all inmates happy

2004-03-04 18:06

Pretoria - Not all prisoners are happy about the Constitutional Court's decision to allow them to vote in the April 14 election, Correctional Services said on Thursday.

Gauteng's Correctional Services spokesperson Isaac Mosiane said although many were glad for the opportunity to vote, others were not.

"There are quite a number of inmates who are there under different names to that which they are known outside. Some of the prisoners are quite upset," he said.

Mosiane explained the voting process involved each prisoner getting an identification document (ID) and to do that they needed to have their fingerprints taken.

"They feel this might link them to other crimes for which they have not yet been found guilty," he said.

But Mosiane said that no prisoner could be forced to register or vote.

He said Correctional Service Heads would be meeting the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on Monday to work out how to register the prisoners.

IEC spokesperson, Lydia Young, said the commission was currently studying the ruling with the aim of finalising preparations for the registration of prisoners as ordered by the court.

"The Commission will file an affidavit on Wednesday, 10 March, with the Registrar of the Court and the Minister of Correctional Services, the National Institute for Crime Prevention and Reintegration (NICRO) and the two prisoners, with whom the application was brought before the court, setting out the manner in which it will comply with the ruling," she said.

- SAPA