Pretoria – A Mozambican national serving time for rape, robbery and kidnapping, and a Zimbabwean serving time for housebreaking, at the Kgosi Mampuru prison in Pretoria, have escaped, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) said on Wednesday.
“The DCS has launched a manhunt following an escape of two sentenced inmates,” spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said.
“The escapees are Thabo Zacharia Muyambo, from Mozambique, serving a life sentence for 21 counts of various crimes including rape, robbery and kidnapping; and Johannes Chauke, from Zimbabwe, serving 20 years for house breaking offences.”
On Wednesday morning, Nxumalo said the DCS’s Emergency Support Team were working closely with the SAPS to apprehend them.
He said the officers were “hot on their heels and these escapees shall be brought back behind bars”.
“The Department of Correctional Services has also initiated an internal investigation into this incident. Members of the public are urged to contact their nearest police station should they come into contact with them,” Nxumalo said.
In September, a manhunt was launched after three inmates convicted of robbery and firearm charges escaped from the Leeuwkop Prison in Sandton, Johannesburg.
At the time, Nxumalo said the department was expecting a preliminary report which would detail how the prisoners escaped from the facility.
Police in Gauteng and the CSD were leading the manhunt for Asiphe Mfusi Zinyateli, Reuben Khemi and Tshepo Mogawane.
African News Agency (ANA)
