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divdiv class=story-body readability=31 span class=story-date#13; span class=date27 October 2013/span#13;span class=time-textLast updated at /spanspan class=time23:19 ET/span#13; #13;/span#13;#13; #13;#13;#13; #13; #13; #13; #13; p class=introduction id=story_continues_1A British security firm has been accused of shocking abuses and of losing control at one of South Africa's most dangerous prisons. /p#13; pThe South African government has temporarily taken over the running of Mangaung prison from G4S and launched an official investigation./p#13; pIt comes after inmates claimed they had been subjected to electric shocks and forced injections. /p#13; pG4S says it has seen no evidence of abuse by its employees./p#13; pThe BBC has obtained leaked footage filmed inside the high security prison, in which one can hear the click of electrified shields, and shrieking. It also shows a prisoner resisting a medication./p#13; pResearchers at the a href=http://witsjusticeproject.com/Wits Justice Project/a at Wits University in Johannesburg say they have collected accounts of electric shocks and beatings from almost 30 prisoners during a year-long investigation./p#13; #13; pSome said they would pass out when the shocks became too intense, said Ruth Hopkins, a journalist with the Wits Justice Project./p#13; pShe said inmates also complained about suffering broken limbs and other serious injuries. /p#13; pa href=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24694214One former prisoner told the BBC/a electric shocks were used as torture, while a sacked security guard said water was thrown over inmates to increase the impact of the charge./p#13; div class=story-feature narrow#13; a class=hidden href=#story_continues_2Continue reading the main story/a h2 class=quote“spanStart Quote/span/h2#13;blockquote readability=1p class=first-childIf anything specific is brought to us that is a specific case you have my commitment... that we'll investigate fully and completely”/p/blockquote#13;span class=endquoteEnd Quote/span#13; span class=quote-creditAndy Baker/span#13; span class=quote-credit-titleG4S for Africa/span#13;#13; /div p id=story_continues_2A lawyer for some the prisoners has condemned a culture of impunity amongst prison staff, according to the BBC's Africa correspondent Andrew Harding./p#13; pG4S has blamed an upsurge of violence at the prison on a labour dispute, our correspondent adds. More than 300 guards there were sacked this month after going on an unofficial strike. /p#13; pNontsikelelo Jolingana, the acting national commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services, told the BBC her department had launched a formal investigation into the claims of abuse./p#13; pThe South African prison authorities a href=http://www.dcs.gov.za/UploadedFiles/The%20acting%20National%20Commissioner%20of%20Corr ectional%20Services%20Ms%20Nontsikelelo%20Jolingan a%20on%20Mangaung%20Correctional%20Centre%20operat ed%20and%20managed%20by%20G4S.pdfannounced earlier this month/a they were temporarily taking over the running of the prison near Bloemfontein, in the central Free State province, after the private security contractor lost effective control of the facility./p#13; pAndy Baker, regional president of G4S for Africa, said administering and prescribing injections was not the domain of G4S staff, but of a separate medical staff./p#13; pWhen asked about allegations of electric shocking and beatings, he told the BBC there had never been an abuse of this type or nature to his knowledge./p#13; pBut he said: If anything specific is brought to us that is a specific case you have my commitment and the rest of our organisation's commitment that we'll investigate fully and completely./p#13; /div/divbrbrcentera href=http://www.wizardrss.comPowered By WizardRSS.com/a | a href=http://www.wizardrss.comFull Text RSS Feed/a | a href=http://www.amazon.com/RFID-Blocking-Cards-Identity-Protector/dp/B00CJHZLEWRFID/a | a href=http://www.wpzonbuilder.comAmazon Affiliate/a/center