Waterkloof 4 'do nothing' in jail
2008-08-15 10:02
Pretoria - The Waterkloof 4 are given only two meals per day and are allowed only an hour per day outdoors.
The rest of the time is spent in their cells in Pretoria Central prison, an informed source told Beeld on Thursday.
In the morning, Christoff Becker, 22, Frikkie du Preez, 23, Gert van Schalkwyk, 22, and Reinach Tiedt, 22, have porridge, milk and coffee for breakfast with their fellow inmates in the dining hall.
Only five hours later they eat again - this time a dinner of soy, pap, cabbage and bread, which they have to ration for the night if they become hungry, as they don't receive three meals, the source said.
They are locked in their respective cells with the only view a long row of bars - the doors of the about 20 cells on the opposite side.
Strict routine
Inmates are kept locked up all day and follow a strict daily routine. They get up at 05:30 and have 90 minutes to shower and get dressed. Breakfast is at 07:00 and afterwards they go back to their cells. Lunch and dinner are already at 12:00.
On Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays there are church services, which inmates may attend.
"The rest of the day, you sit. You do nothing. They will probably be appointed to workshops teams at some point," said the informed source. At least there was an hour a day for exercise, where the four could exercise in "a small square-ish area outside with high walls around you".
"You can run or do push-ups or just sit around."
At night there is no specific time when the lights are switched off, which could be "terrible", said the source.
"You choose when you want to switch off the lights but some of those guys listen to the radio all night long. You can't complain about that even if you want to. Sorry for you - you are in prison. There is no mercy."
Until Wednesday, Becker shared a cell with two or three other prisoners in the C section. He was presumably moved to the B section on Thursday, where Du Preez, Van Schalkwyk and Tiedt are sharing two-man cells.
"I spoke to Becker yesterday. He said he would keep his chin up and make the best of a bad situation," said the source.