Community members have assisted the Barberton police in catching a prisoner awaiting trial, who had escaped along with three others from the local holding cells on Sunday, November 15.
After spending 14 days on the run, Vusi Khumalo (33), who is popular known as Qanda (loosely translated in English as”egg”), was rearrested on Sunday, November 29.
Qanda has already briefly made his court appearance last Wednesday (November 2) in the Barberton Magistrate’s Court. His case was postponed to Tuesday, January 5.
He is currently incarcerated in a holding cell in Mbombela. Qanda faces five charges – some of rape and sexual harassment and one of escaping from holding cells, alongside Vusi Masango (36), Alcino Mataveni and Suping Keogethetse (45).
However, Keogethetse, a former worker at Barberton General Hospital, was rearrested on the same night of his escape when he broke his leg.
Keogethetse is facing a charge of discharging a firearm in public and a new one – escaping from lawfully custody – has been added.
Both Masango and Mataveni are still at large. Masango is facing a charge of trespassing while Mataveni, of Mozambique, has been charged with being in the country illegally. Both men are now facing additional charges of escaping from lawful custody.
Const Tutu Nkosi, Barberton police spokesman, confirmed the recapturing of Khumalo. “On Sunday, November 29 at about 22:50 at Extention 11 (in Emjindini) suspect Vusi Khumalo was rearrested. He appeared on December 2 in the Barberton Magistrate’s Court and his case was postponed to January 5, 2015 for further investigation,” said Nkosi.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Masango and Mataveni can contact Capt Sizwe Nkosi on 082-303-9704 or Lt Signett Mthethwa on 071-353-3882.
