South Africa: Electric fence switched off

Original Post Date: 2010-02-25 Time: 10:00:02  Posted By: News Poster

By Mpume Madlala

Westville Prison boss Bheki Mabanga has made a shocking admission: the eight awaiting-trial prisoners who broke out on Sunday could have had their daring escape foiled by the prison’s electric fence – had it been switched on.

Mabanga told the Daily News yesterday that the electrified perimeter fence, which had been erected years ago as the ultimate line to keep prisoners in, was off on orders of the Human Rights Commission.

The commission, he said, had warned prison authorities that the drastic security measure violated the human rights of prisoners, because the fence was potentially deadly.

“We had put the fence all around the prison, but unfortunately we had to switch it off due to the complaints made by the commission,” Mabanga said.
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“If the fence was on, they would not have been able to escape. That is why it was so easy for them.”

Yesterday, police released pictures of seven of the eight men, who they said were dangerous and should not be approached by members of the public.

Simon Bouque, Thulani Shandu, Sibusiso Thili Mzimela, Siboniso Zuma, Nkosinathi Nzama Mabaso, Nhlanhla Lucky Mhlongo, Nhlanhla Mduduzi Mngadi and Mandla Mavundla were “high- risk” awaiting-trail prisoners, police said, and had been arrested for serious crimes, including murder, rape, robbery and escaping from custody.

They had managed to cut through steel doors and the grill gates at the prison before sliding out of their seventh floor cell in the Medium “A” section using a makeshift rope made from bed sheets.

Once outside the building, they had simply parted the strands of the disarmed electric fence and made their way through a second fence to the main road leading to the Westville civic centre. There were no surveillance cameras in the areas the men had used to make good their getaway.

Thozamile Taki, the alleged Umzinto serial killer, could have been a ninth escapee, but luck was not on his side because the bed sheet rope had ripped apart as he tried to slide down from the seventh floor. He plunged to the ground, injuring a leg and his pelvis.

Taki’s cries of pain alerted prison guards to the escape, but by then the others were long gone. Some fled in a BMW car waiting for them just outside the fence. Taki was back in prison, Nokuthula Zikhali, spokeswoman for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Correctional Services, said yesterday.

He is being kept in the prison hospital.

Mabanga did not say when the prison’s electric fence, a security measure that is common at homes and businesses in many parts of the country, had been turned off or if it would be reactivated.

And the Human Rights Commission, which reportedly asked that it be switched off, would not comment yesterday.

Spokesman Vincent Moaga said the commission would be in a better position to comment today.

Police are still searching for the escapees and by last night no arrests had been made, according to police spokeswoman, Director Phindile Radebe.

While the Department of Correctional Services was probing the matter, Correctional Services Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said a preliminary inquiry pointed to collusion with officials. So far no prison official has been suspended.