Justice Minister Ronald Lamola says some of the inmates, who were rearrested following an escape from Malmesbury Prison, have been transferred to maximum security facilities.
A group of detainees overpowered officials at the Malmesbury Remand Detention Facility on Friday, during exercise time.
Correctional services say they took the prison officials’ keys and locked three wardens in a cell. They then opened several other cells, and 68 escaped through the main entrance and over the roof.
Addressing the media on Saturday after visiting the facility, the Minister says, “The situation currently has been stabilised and the facility and the emergency support team has been activated furthermore some of the problematic inmates have been transferred out of the facility to the maximum facilities in the region the centre is currently under lockdown we want to ensure communities that we will do everything in our power to apprehend the remaining escapees,” says Lamola.
Minister Lamola briefs media on Saturday:
Escaped inmates rearrested
Western Cape police say they have re-arrested 61 of the 68 inmates that escaped. This comes after police stations on the West Coast of Cape Town, together with officials from the Department of Correctional Services, launched an extensive search for the awaiting-trial prisoners who had escaped.
Regional Commissioner Delekile Klaas also clarifies during the press briefing that initially, they thought 69 people escaped. But they actually found one detainee in a different cell that he was not supposed to be in. So the actual number of escapees is 68.
Manhunt underway for escaped inmates
