Stabbing of 5 warders possibly linked to gang ritual

Johannesburg - It was not clear whether the stabbing of five
warders at the Drakenstein prison, near Paarl, on Thursday
was linked to a gang ritual, Western Cape correctional
services said.
"The regional commissioner had to rush to the correctional
facility in Drakenstein... as word came in that five of our
members had been stabbed," spokesperson Simphiwe Xako
said.
The five were seriously injured.
One was stabbed in the chest and taken to hospital in Paarl.
An investigation into the attack was under way.
Xako said correctional services was investigating whether
Thursday's incident was linked to another attack at the
Brandvlei prison in Worcester on Sunday, 4 January, which
was a suspected "spilling of blood" gang ritual.
Xako said the alleged ritual happened when prisoner Lubabalo
Mzamo was given a sock with a padlock inside it, which he
used to hit a prison warder over the head.
"Officials later had to restrain the charging offender by using
necessary force, which led to him sustaining head injuries. He
was later rushed to hospital for medical treatment," it said.
Mzamo died in the Tygerberg Hospital after being in a coma
for 10 days.
The Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services was
investigating the matter.