Prisons around the country have been hit by a shortage of inmates’ uniforms, a situation that has led to convicted and remanded prisoners being all allowed to wear their civilian clothes.
The shortage of prison uniforms is a result of difficulties experienced after a company that had won the tender to supply Prisons with the uniforms failed to supply the specific garment used for making them.
The Commissioner of Prisons, Colonel Silas Motlalekgosi, confirmed in an interview that the shortage of prison uniforms was a result of technicalities relating to a tender that was awarded to a company that was to supply inmates’ uniforms.
He said that the company that was awarded a tender supplied a uniform that could not meet specific requirements.
Motlalekgosi indicated that there were certain specifics that were indicated in the tender which the supplier failed to meet.
He said that when the clothing garment was taken to Botswana Bureau of Standards for testing the garment that was supplied could not meet the required standards that were spelt out in the tender.
He indicated that Botswana Prisons Service could not take the uniforms following the company’s failure to deliver.
Motlalekgosi stated that as a result, starting last year inmates were allowed to wear their own clothes.
He said that the clothing that the inmates are wearing at the moment are allowed after a thorough scrutiny on whether such clothing could be used by convicted prisoners and those who are remanded. He emphasized that there is a need to secure uniforms for inmates.
Motlalekgosi stated that the uniforms were important for issues relating to security.
