NO CABBAGE DIET FOR INMATES

MBABANE – There will be no cabbage diet for inmates.  This is the view of the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs which was stated in the ministry’s written responses to questions posed by the Senate Portfolio Committee member, Senator Chief Mvimbi Matse.

Last week, the senator had raised a concern on whether the overcrowding and re-offencing at Correctional Services institutions was not caused by the serving of tasty and nutritious diets to inmates which included eggs, meat, bread and tea. The senator had suggested that the inmates be served with only cabbage or alternatively spinach as was the case in some neighbouring countries.

In her response, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Pholile Shakantu said contrary to the belief that His Majesty’s Correction Services (HMCS) provided the best nutritional diet to offenders, the diet was within acceptable standards.
In her written responses which were tabled in Senate yesterday, the minister said “the diet was in accordance with the Correctional Services Act, 2017 which was approved by both Houses of Parliament and government”.

Standards

The minister further stated that the diet was also congruent with United Nations standards, and as such could not be altered or tampered with.
The senator had asked if the situation did not encourage people to re-offend so that they could return to jail to have all the delicious meals which put a huge strain on the budget allocated to HMCS.  

Matse said as a result most inmates were overweight at the end of their sentences which showed that they were having the best meals which should have been exchanged for basic vegetable meals.
Meanwhile, the department stated that upon their release from incarceration, a number of offenders had been able to start projects in the various trades offered through rehabilitation.

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