G4S to appear before parliament for Bester escape

Parliament has kicked off the process of officially summoning G4S Security before it to explain how rapist and murderer Thabo Bester escaped from a prison the company managed.

The summons come after G4S failed to appear before the portfolio committee on justice and correctional services on Tuesday where it, along with the police and correctional services, was expected to explain how Bester made the grand escape from Mangaung Correctional Centre in May last year.

Chairperson of the committee Gratitude Magwinishe told Sowetan late yesterday: “We will request the Speaker of the National Assembly through the secretary of parliament to process and issue the summons. South Africans are waiting for an explanation. “When people have to account they look for technical loopholes and legal routes. Instead of coming with information, G4S is looking for loopholes,” said Magwanishe.

G4S’s absence in parliament caused a stir among committee members earlier in the day. They accused the company of disrespecting them. This after it emerged that G4S sent a letter to the committee on Monday requesting to make a presentation on Bester’s escape after the Easter holidays, claiming they did not have enough time to prepare.

Magwanishe only received the letter on Monday afternoon. During the committee’s sitting yesterday, an upset Magwanishe said G4S was sent an invitation last week but chose not to honour it.

“They (G4S) received the invitation to come and attend last week, and they elected to respond yesterday (Monday) after lunch... “In terms of our sequence of presentations, we thought G4S would be the first to present, followed by DCS (department of correctional services), then JICS (Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services) and SAPS...” said Magwanishe.

DA MP Adv Glynnis Breytenbach said the sitting should be postponed.

“I find it difficult to contain my outrage ... that this kind of thing (Bester’s escape) can happen and a year later little progress has been made. “I am outraged that G4S can send us such a letter... They thumbed their nose at this portfolio committee and demanded to be summoned here in order to obtain some sort of flimsy protection. For what? It is very clear they have something to hide...”

“We should consider not proceeding today. It would make little sense if we proceed without G4S and we would be making a mockery of this procedure,” said Breytenbach.

ACDP’s Nicholas Swart said: “I am outraged that G4S decides not to come. How dare they say they are not coming today. G4S should come here and they are going to respond no matter what,” said Swart.

ANC’s Nomathemba Maseko-Jele also agreed that the sitting cannot continue in the absence of G4S. “The G4S people were the ones responsible on site (Mangaung prison). They are the ones having information. They have shown disrespect to this committee and the public by not honouring this invitation.” said Maseko-Jele.

G4S legal representative Adv Ben Wicks, who was present at the sitting, said they did not mean to disrespect the committee. “G4S didn’t directly receive any invitation, but incidentally heard from BCC [Bloemfontein Correctional Contracts] that this meeting is taking place. “G4S is keen to help this committee. We are unable to make a presentation without summons because the summons are needed to allow us to give information we cannot give now due to confidentiality and contractual obligations.”

Magwanishe said the sitting would be postponed to another date when G4S is present.

Correctional services, led by minister Ronald Lamola, Justice Edwin Cameron from the JICS and national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola, were in attendance.

kokam@sowetan.co.za