ANC heavyweight Andile Lungisa is expected to arrive at the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, with a jail sentence all but confirmed for the controversial politician.
However, in a letter published by The Herald, it seems Mr Lungisa is dreading the prospect of returning to a cell.
Andile Lungisa heading for jail – kicking and screaming
Lungisa is likely to serve two more years of an already-existing prison term after he smashed a glass jug over the head of a DA councillor. This was during a heated exchange in the Nelson Mandela Bay Legislature: The incident, which happened four years ago, has been the subject of an intense legal battle – and it now seems to have reached a conclusion.
Andile Lungisa has been identified by the ANC Integrity Commission as someone who needs to face the music. In a bid to clear up their image, the ruling party has taken action against those with criminal charges against their names. Lungisa tops the list and now finds himself staring down the barrel of incarceration.
ANC heavyweight says prison ‘is not for him’
His petition to the Constitutional Court, however, makes for an astonishing read. The party stalwart says that sending him to prison ‘is a violation of his human rights’. He complains about the cramped conditions, the water supply situation, and even the standard of food served to inmates. Evidently, Andile Lungisa is desperate to avoid another stint in jail.
But, if you can’t handle the time, one really shouldn’t be doing the crime…
“The courts have not, with respect, imposed a fair and justifiable sentence on me and have therefore fallen foul of [my] constitutional rights. Cruel and degrading sentences are not limited to heavy sentences. My wife and children will be devastated if I am sentenced to jail. I am not [suited] for prison.”
“It is no secret that the prisons are overcrowded and are nests of violence, drug dealing and sodomy, nor that there is no prospect of rehabilitation since prisoners are kept in custody for 23 of every 24 hours. There are also no conditions conducive to human dignity, little access to water, no privacy when going to the toilet, and the food is appalling.”
Andile Lungisa
Read the original article on The South African
