Johannesburg - All eyes will be on the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court today due to two former G4S employees making their first appearance while three others, including convicted murderer Thabo Bester’s girlfriend Dr Nandipha Magudumana are set to apply for bail.
The two G4S suspects were arrested on Monday at their place of residence in Bloemfontein. They are facing a charge of assisting an inmate to escape from lawful custody and defeating the ends of justice.
“The team investigating this case have so far arrested eight suspects and cannot rule out the possibility of effecting more arrests,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.
Magudumana, former G4S employee Senohe Matsoara, CCTV technician Tebogo Lipholo and Motenyane John Masukela, Magudumana’s father Zolile Sekeleni and Bester will appear at the same court on May 16, 2023.
To date, eight people have been arrested in connection with Bester’s daring escape from the Mangaung correctional facility.
Heavyweight lawyer, Machini Motloung, is reported to be the new legal representative for Magudumana, however when asked about this, he denied it but said he was watching the case.
The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) announced that it has decided to terminate its concession contract with Bloemfontein Correctional Services (BCC) yesterday.
The department said, in line with the concession agreement, a termination notice for a period of 90 days has been issued to BCC, and thereafter, the contract will cease to operate.
DCS spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said the notice of termination follows the announcement on April 20, 2023, by the department that it had referred its contract with BCC for a legal opinion.
‘’It has been deemed that BCC is neither competent nor suitable to continue with the concession contract. BCC is contracted to operate the Mangaung Correctional Centre, a public-private partnership facility.
‘’DCS will immediately resume with an internal exercise for the takeover process. The contract does lay down a procedure to be followed in this regard,’’ Nxumalo said.
This development follows Bester’s escape from the Mangaung Correctional Centre in May last year.
The escape left the government with an egg on its face; it took the media to expose it.
Bester was arrested together with Magudumana in Arusha, Tanzania, last month.
Bester is currently incarcerated at the secure Kgosi Mampuru C-Max Facility.
Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola briefed the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services in Parliament on the decision to terminate the contract between DCS and BCC yesterday.
Lamola said the department continues to be in the news following the escape.
He said the SAPS continues to make several arrests over this matter.
Lamola also revealed that in the 2021/22 financial year, they had 22 escapes from a total inmate population of 143 223.
‘’We are the first to acknowledge that one escape at our facilities is one too many. We will redouble our security operations to prevent escapes and deal harshly with officials who fail to adhere to Standard Operating Procedures. The National Commissioner acted yesterday in the Mthata management area, where there was an escape of two inmates, and one has been recaptured. Eight officials who were on duty on the date of the escape and did not adhere to Standard Operating Procedures have been suspended,’’ Lamola said.
The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) national spokesperson, Richard Mamabolo, said the union welcomes the news.
‘’It has been long overdue that we have been urging the DCS to terminate since conditions and reports of human rights abuse have been noted," Mamabolo said.
There has been no comment yet from G4S.
The Star