Police commended for arresting all five prisoners who escaped en route to Nongoma
Excellent police work resulted in four of the escaped prisoners being returned to custody on the very same day, and the arrest of the fifth prisoner less than a week later.
Zululand Cluster communications officer, Captain Nkosie Gwala, applauds the SAPS members whose quick response and dedicated perseverance led to the arrest of all five prisoners who escaped while being transported to the Nongoma Magistrates Court last week.
Excellent police work resulted in four of the escaped prisoners being returned to custody on the very same day, and the arrest of the fifth prisoner less than a week later.
“The team demonstrated the highest professionalism as they worked tirelessly to bring the prisoners to book during a dangerous and critical operation,” said Captain Gwala. “To the members involved, we value your commitment to serve the community and we are grateful for the impact you have made in the fight against crime. We hope your outstanding results serve as a shining example of what is possible when you commit to serving with pride and dignity through any challenges you may face.”
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Here’s how the fifth prisoner was captured:
Last week’s manhunt for five escaped, awaiting-trial prisoners ended with the final wayward jailbird, Mfanele Jabulani Mathe, being brought back into the felonious fold.
His journey began on March 26, while being transported to Nongoma Magistrates Court, along with ten other prisoners, among them suspects facing rape, robbery and assault charges.
Two of the eleven prisoners in transit overpowered the officers who were tasked with transporting them, relieving them of their firearms and opening fire on them as they opened the vehicle for the rest of the prisoners to escape, at which point, six of the prisoners wisely opted to remain in custody.
Following a massive manhunt by VisPol from Nongoma and Ngome, West and East Zululand task teams, POP Ulundi, TRT and K9 units and Ngome SAPS, who were also involved in the early stages of the operation, four of the escapees were rearrested and both firearms recovered after a telephonic tip off to the Ngome Station Commander from an unknown informant at approximately 5:30pm that evening led police to the whereabouts of the escapees, who had boarded a taxi heading in the direction of the R618 to Vryheid/Nongoma.
On Monday, Mathe, who managed to evade capture a little longer than his fellow jailhouse peers, was rearrested at the Enyokeni area, near Nongoma.
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