Four prison wardens have been arrested in connection with the death of inmate Mpho Mkhumbeni at the Mangaung Correctional Centre in the Free State, South Africa.
While Mkhumbeni was initially believed to have died of natural causes on March 12, a post-mortem examination later revealed that his death was the result of unnatural causes.
Free State police spokesperson Brigadier Motantsi Makhele stated that the case was first opened as an inquest based on the assumption that Mkhumbeni had died naturally. However, findings from the post-mortem led authorities to reclassify the case as a murder.
“Further investigations by the Bloemspruit police on Tuesday evening resulted in the arrest of four warders, aged between 34 and 50, for the alleged murder of Mkhumbeni,” Makhele confirmed.
The accused are expected to appear before the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, April 23. The incident has reignited public concern over the treatment and safety of inmates within South Africa’s prison system.
