Two of the five prisoners who escaped from the Kutama Sinthumule Maximum Security Centre (KSCC) last year, have owned up to their offenses.
Chris Faku (37), Jabulani Isaac Mahlangu (31), Thomas Munyai (29), Tshengedzeni Manuka (37) and Justice Makamo (27) were among a group of KSCC prisoners who exploited an ongoing strike by warders of South African Custodial Management (SACM) on 26 October. Prisoners went on the rampage to take control of the prison. In the end, a total of seven prisoners escaped and three prison buildings were damaged.
All five the recaptured prisoners were charged with escaping from lawful custody and appeared in the Louis Trichardt District Court again on Monday. A sixth accused, Americo Nathe, also appeared in court with them. He was charged with attempted escape.
Nathe injured himself in his attempt to escape over the fence of the prison and was arrested before he could run away.
Munayi and Mahlanga immediately pleaded guilty to the charges. Both admitted to exploiting the strike. "We were not in our cells, but in the pods. Some inmates left and opened the gate and we left the pods," Munyai told the court.
Mahlanga told the court that he saw some of the prisoners going through the open gate, escaping through office building windows, and he followed them.
The court accepted both men's pleas and slapped an extra four years onto their current jail sentences.
Faku, Manuka and Makamo, on the other hand, indicated that they would plead not guilty to the charges. Their case was set down for trial on 26 March.
In the meantime, the Limpopo Police confirmed that two of the seven escapees remain at large. Phathutshedzo Nemadodzi (34) from Dididi in Thohoyandou and Raphael Nyota (30) from Harare, Zimbabwe, continue to evade arrest.
While the search is ongoing, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) responded to media questions this week and confirmed that 16 of the 18 suspended officials at the prison had been summarily dismissed, with effect from 29 January. Shortly after the incident, the DCS confirmed that they had suspended 18 officials as part of an ongoing investigation into the matter.
Reports at the time suggested that the wardens were neglecting their duties because of a dispute that they had with the SACM over their contribution towards the employees' pension fund.
DCS had, at the time of our going to press, yet to respond to rumours that the 16 dismissed officials will be facing criminal prosecution.