An inmate, who allegedly stabbed two wardens at the Goodwood Correctional Facility in the Western Cape, bragged that he was a 28s gang general before he stabbed them, the Department of Correctional Services said on Monday.
Regional spokesperson Simphiwe Xako said the inmate has been isolated from other inmates and was incarcerated in a single cell.
The incident happened at around 08:00 on Sunday while the wardens were unlocking cell C10 to feed inmates.
Xako said it is believed that the attack was part of a gang initiation.
"Accounts received from other inmates revealed that an offender who had been transferred from St Albans in Port Elizabeth, had bragged to the other offenders that he was a general of the 28s gang. He was then immediately forced to prove his claims. That is when he allegedly stabbed the officials, who had opened the cells so that the offenders can have their breakfast," he said.
The two wardens were rushed to the nearby N1 City Hospital where they were treated for their injuries and later discharged, he said.
"It is unclear when they will be back at work as they will also undergo psychological counselling," Xako added.
A criminal case has also been opened.
'Spiralling gang activities'
Xako said there was another incident, in which boiling water was thrown at an offender in nearby cell C6, after a fight had broken out between members of the 26s and 28s gangs.
"The offender was later rushed to hospital for medical treatment," he said.
Xako said the department's emergency support team was reinforced by close to 150 SAPS officers in conducting search-and-seizure operations in the affected cells at the correctional facility on Sunday afternoon.
Four makeshift knives, blades, a cellphone and two chargers were confiscated from the holding cells during a sweep.
On January 18 this year, four correctional officials had to be rushed to hospital after inmates threw boiling water at them while they were conducting a search operation at Pollsmoor's Medium B section, revealed Xako.
Western Cape regional commissioner Delekile Klaas held a lengthy behind-the-scenes meeting with the provincial commissioner of the SAPS after the incident.
"This meeting's focus centred around intensifying proactive and effective mechanisms of detecting any similar future potential incidents, the spiralling gang activities in correctional facilities around the Western Cape and strengthening other areas of co-operation between the two institutions," Xako said.
Authorities are closely monitoring the situation, he added.