Officials aiding prisoners to escape, department tells parliament

Inmates are finding "innovative ways to escape" from prison – exposing gaps in security measures at correctional facilities and private prisons – with hospitals now a favourite point for prisoner escapes.

This is according to the department of correctional services (DSC) which revealed this information before the parliament’s portfolio committee on correctional services on Tuesday.

The presentation's main purpose was to brief the committee on actions being taken following the public protector's report on Thabo Bester's escape from prison.

Departmental spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo also released a statement revealing that an inmate serving a six-month sentence for theft and trespassing had escaped from Pollsmoor Correctional Centre in Cape Town. 

Nxumalo said the escapee, Yanga Wayithi, 35, was assigned to a work team responsible for maintaining the facility’s grounds at the time he made a run for it.

He said an internal investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances of the escape. “As the manhunt continues, the public is urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities," he said.

Addressing the committee, acting director of security Bheki Nkosi said the department has complied with the public protector’s recommendations on Bester’s escape, submitting security policies, an escape prevention strategy, and anti-corruption measures.

The public protector had made several recommendations to the department, including developing a comprehensive escape prevention strategy, establishing an anti-corruption reporting line, and setting up an anonymous reporting hotline for individuals to report suspicious activities or corruption.

Additionally, the DCS was required to submit a detailed action plan outlining how they would implement these recommendations

Among other issues, Nkosi said prison security policies were not aligned with private prisons, which contributed to Bester's escape from Mangaung Correctional Centre –the Free State maximum prison owned and managed by G4S security firm.

“Inmates are finding innovative ways to escape and their ways vary now and then. And then committee members need to note that key to this escape is our officials' negligence in terms of non-compliance to standard operating procedures (SOPs) and strategies," he said .

According to Nkosi, they were implementing tighter monitoring and accountability measures to ensure that all correctional officials follow new security protocols. “We need to establish an intelligence-driven correctional services system and simulate reactions to escape incidents in the form of emergency drills. This is imperative to assist the department in fighting all non-compliance and security breaches,” he said.

Nkosi said private prison operators needed to be held accountable. “We are going to make sure the controller at private prisons indicates the receipt of the policy and signs that they are aware of it. The monitoring of the policy will be ensured, and we are going to make sure that the job description of the controller reflects the implementation of the policy,” he said.

Hospitals have also become a high-risk location for escapes, said Nkosi.

"Prevention for violent escapes, including high-risk detainees from public-private partnership (private prisons)  from public hospitals are a priority. This is one of the areas where most of the offenders are escaping from lawful custody.

"We are going to make sure that effective security measures are put in place to ensure that offenders are not escaping from public hospitals. Then ensure the timely standardization of investigations and disciplinary processes with regards to escape, also at the TPPs."

Nolufefe Ndadlana, acting director for the departmental investigation unit, said they were also implementing new anti-corruption measures, citing internal sabotage and collusion by officials in prison escapes.

She said the department had committed to timely and standardised investigations into prison escapes and misconduct by officials. “We are saying the reporting of security gaps or security breaches must be followed, and effective investigations and consequence management must apply on time."

Ndadlana said securing correctional facilities was an ongoing challenge as prisoners continue to find new methods of escaping.

However, officials insist that their new security approach, combined with stricter enforcement and accountability, will prevent future breaches, she said.

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