Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre. Picture: Kevin Sutherland/EPA/African News Agency (ANA) Archives
Fifty-nine inmates who escaped from the country’s prisons over the last six years have not been re-arrested.
With 39, the sentenced prisoners made up the majority of these fugitive escapees. The remaining 20 were not sentenced.
The 59 were part of 285 inmates who escaped from prisons across the country between 2017 and 2022.
Among the escaped prisoners, there were convicted murderers, rapists, robbers, hijackers, arsonists, undocumented immigrants and burglars.
This data has been by Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola. It revealed that 226 of the 285 escapees were re-arrested.
Of the 226 that were re-arrested, 100 were sentenced and 126 were not sentenced.
Lamola stressed that the escapees made up a tiny portion of the country’s prisoner population.
“There was an average of 151 495 inmates in custody at any given time during the mentioned period,” he said, replying to written questions in the National Assembly.
“The escape rate can be averaged at forty eight (48) inmates per year. This translates to an average of 0.032% inmates escaping from custody per annum.”
The Western Cape led with the number of escaping inmates. It had 100 escapes over the past six years, and just there remained on the loose.
It was followed by Gauteng with 54 escapes, of which 26 were re-arrested. Of the 28 inmates still at large in Gauteng, 13 were sentenced.
Lamola said intense efforts were always undertaken whenever an inmate dashes for freedom.
“Escapes are reported to the SAPS and criminal cases are opened against the perpetrators. SAPS track and tracing unit together with the Department of Correction Service (DCS) Emergency Support Teams conduct manhunt and search operations,” he said.
“For all foreign nationals who escape, DCS and SAPS also engage with the SADC countries' law enforcement agencies.”
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