Murder investigation launched after inmate's brutal death at Goodwood Prison

The death of a high-ranking inmate at Goodwood Prison has officially been ruled as a murder investigation following allegations that he was beaten by Department of Correctional Services (DCS) officials and mauled by dogs. 

Two months after the horrific death of Quinton "Questions" Fortuin, 39, police are now probing what led to the fatal beating as his family lawyer has collected damning proof against DCS officials amid allegations about a cover-up. 

The incident in February saw desperate inmates write letters begging for an investigation into the alleged actions by the Emergency Support Team (EST). 

According to two letters received, Fortuin, who is a general of the 26s gang, was embroiled in an argument with wardens and allegedly stabbed one of them. 

The inmates claim during the scuffle, EST teams arrived and locked Fortuin in a single cell where they continuously beat him before allowing dogs to bite him. 

Fortuin’s lawyer, Attorney Labiek Samuels, said over 60 calls to the prison went unanswered as he tried to ascertain what happened. 

Samuels said he was later informed that Fortuin was dropped at Karl Bremmer Hospital but was later referred to Tygerberg Mortuary where they were informed he had been murdered. 

After recovering the corpse, the family demanded an investigation as Samuels said the cause of death was ruled as blunt force trauma. 

Photographs seen by the Cape Argus show that Fortuin’s body had multiple bite marks and stab wounds. 

Police spokesperson, Malcolm Pojie, said: "Goodwood detectives are investigating a murder docket following the death of an inmate of the Goodwood correctional facility during February 2025. The inmate was declared as deceased on arrival at a medical facility on the evening of February 15, 2025. The cause of death is not known at this stage. No arrests have been made yet."

Samuels added that the family has been informed that 54 DCS staff were on duty at the time.

He said: "His mother is relieved that the police have now opened a murder docket. She wants justice for her son. She is not saying he was an angel but he was killed in the custody of the state and they must be held accountable." 

DCS spokesperson, Singabakho Nxumalo, said: "We can report that the internal investigation is ongoing. In addition, the death of the inmate was also reported to other relevant structures to conduct their own investigations." 

DA MP, Nicholas Gotsell, slammed the use of force and questioned why dogs are weaponised against inmates, but not used to find drugs in the prison. 

The Judicial Services Commission member said: "Fortuin allegedly attacked a warden in February 2025 — an incident the department hastily labelled as ‘self-defence’. Yet Fortuin arrived at hospital barely alive, with extensive injuries, and could not be resuscitated. The preliminary findings suggest he was assaulted even after being disarmed, with a dog unleashed on him while he lay incapacitated on the ground. It is telling that in a prison system drowning in drugs, dogs are not deployed to break the drug economy that fuels the Cape Flats’ bloodshed. Instead, they are used to maul inmates into the grave."

Cape Argus