A delegation from G4S, the company that manages the Mangaung correctional facility, was unable to explain the details surrounding the escape of inmate Thabo Bester from the correction facility in May 2022.
The Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services is holding a two-day hearing, beginning today, into the escape. Bester has since been arrested in Tanzania. The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Gratitude Magwanishe, indicated that the meeting is a continuation from last week, after representatives from G4S had to be summoned to appear before the committee after they sent a legal representative to last week’s meeting.
“We have taken note of the recent developments regarding Bester’s arrest in Tanzania. That does not stop us from discharging our oversight responsibility. We need to get to the bottom of what happened,” Mr Magwanishe said.
Committee members asked various questions about the sequence of events preceding the escape, including questions about Bester’s move to isolation a day before his escape, malfunctioning CCTV cameras, allowing Bester unsupervised use of a personal laptop in prison and the body discovered in cell 35.
G4S’s Mr Johannes Groenewald apologised for not attending last week’s meeting, saying that without the summons, G4S would have been in breach of contractual agreements by sharing the information with the committee. Committee member Ms Anthea Ramolobeng disagreed with this assessment. She also said G4S’s presentation lacked details, and was an attempt by G4S to exonerate itself from any responsibility.
“It seems that the case of Bester got out of hand because it is high a profile one. Many other escapes are unaccounted for. Based on the contract with DCS, are you not in breach of contract [with these incidents occurring]?” she asked. Ms Ramolobeng said Bester’s escape appeared to have been carefully orchestrated.
Committee member Mr Xola Nqola, was unconvinced by various details of the timeline of the escape, as presented by G4S, particularly as the fire broke out at 2.30 am, but was only detected at 4 am. This delay is tantamount to gross incompetence, he claimed. G4S then reported that the correctional facility lacks smoke detectors.
G4S also admitted that it has not conducted a forensic investigation into the escape. It also said that as a Damelin-registered student, Bester was entitled to have access to a personal computer, as per the rules of the facility. Committee Chairperson Magwanishe then said it would be better if such devices were not equipped with modems.
G4S also informed the committee that following the escape, three officials were suspended and have since been dismissed. However, the three are contesting their dismissal at the Council for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.
Sibongile Maputi
12 April 2023
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