Pollsmoor's welcome: heavy security clamp

Premier Ebrahim Rasool is among top ANC leaders who will escort convicted fraudster Tony Yengeni arm-in-arm through the gates of Pollsmoor prison today.

And they will be greeted by a heavy security operation, including armed officers with police dogs.

This morning, ANC provincial chairman James Ngculu confirmed that he and Rasool would be at the gates of the prison in Tokai to say goodbye to their fallen comrade.

Members of branches of the ANC would accompany Yengeni into prison premises, plus some members of the provincial and national leadership.

"I think it is an expression of solidarity in Yengeni's time of need. The court decision has been taken, and the ANC respects that decision, but it is time to display solidarity with Yengeni and his family," he said.

This is not the first time Rasool has walked an ANC heavyweight to the prison gates.

He was also present when Allan Boesak reported to Pollsmoor to began his sentence for fraud in 2000.

"The ANC will be accompanying Comrade Tony to prison," said the ANC's deputy provincial secretary, Max Ozinsky, who is a close associate of Yengeni.

"Members of the provincial leadership will be present. Mr Rasool has also indicated he will be present."

Provincial party secretary Mcebisi Skwatsha was overseas and not expected back until lunch- time today, Ozinsky said.

"He is a leader of the ANC ... we stand by our leaders. We have great respect for him," said Ozinsky, who served under Yengeni in uMkhonto weSizwe in the 1980s.

At the Yengeni home in Tijgerhof in Milnerton this morning, the street was quiet.

It is understood that ANC figures will meet him at home at 11am before escorting him to prison in a "small cavalcade".

They will accompany Yengeni through the gates in a ceremonial show of support.

Provincial ANC leaders canvassed this morning said they hoped to meet at the prison shortly after midday.

Officially Yengeni has until midnight tonight to report at Pollsmoor before his 72-hour grace period expires.

He will be processed like any other prisoner at the admission centre, next to the maximum security section.

There he will don his orange prison garb - trousers, shirt and jacket.

Then Yengeni will be shackled. At least three warders would be assigned to him.

Yengeni could spend a couple of days in a single cell at the maximum security section before being placed in another single cell at Medium B. But speculation is rife that he will soon be transferred to the state-of-the-art Malmesbury prison in the tranquil Swartland to serve perhaps only eight months of a four-year sentence.

The Malmesbury jail is perched on a hill about 4km from the town. Clusters of smaller buildings, housing the correctional supervision warders, are nestled in the shadow of the huge prison building.

The high walls are visible from the N7 freeway, amid large tracts of farmland.

The premises have lush green grass and flowers.

The prison was selected by Correctional Services as one of its "centres of excellence", meaning that the emphasis is probably on rehabilitation.

According to senior Correctional Services officials, the prison has between 3 000 and 3 500 inmates and is not overcrowded, unlike Pollsmoor, which has about 6 500 inmates.

On Monday, Yengeni heard that his final appeal had been turned down by the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein.

In 2003 Yengeni, who was at one stage the party's chief whip in parliament, was convicted of fraud related to the multibillion-rand arms deal after he accepted a discount on a luxury vehicle from one of the bidders.

With acknowledgement to Candice Bailey, Dianne Hawker, Norman Joseph, Murray Williams and Cape Argus.