National Commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services, Makgothi Thobakgale, has appointed a new manager for the Mangaung Correctional Centre, from where Facebook rapist Thabo Bester escaped last year.
Thobakgale said that after consulting Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola, he had decided to invoke Section 112 of the Correctional Services Act.
The temporary manager, Patrick Ali Mashabathakga, will perform the function of the director.
This comes after Correctional Services announced earlier this week that it would not be renewing its contract with G4S to run the facility privately.
G4S reported that Bester had burnt to death in his cell in May 2022. He had been serving a life sentence for rape and murder.
However, an investigation by GroundUp revealed Bester escaped from prison and was spotted in Sandton shopping, two months after his alleged death.
He is currently on the run with his doctor girlfriend, while authorities are trying to figure out who the dead person in his cell was.
Thobakgale said their investigation revealed that Bester had help escaping and that the surveillance cameras had been tampered with.
“Greatly worrying is the fact that a private vehicle was allowed inside the facility without a gate pass on the day of the escape, possibly carrying an unknown body that was burnt beyond recognition in cell 35.”
According to media reports, one of three G4S prison guards who was fired in September is alleged to have assisted Bester in his escape.
It said although prison guard Senohe Matsoara was not scheduled to work the night Bester “died”, he reported for duty.
Just a month before the escape, on January 5, 2022, Matsoara posted a picture on Facebook of his new car.
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