Tampering with CCTV, security breaches: Thabo Bester was helped to escape, says Correctional Services commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale

Cape Town – During an update on the escape of Thabo Bester from the Mangaung Correctional Centre, the national commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services, Makgothi Thobakgale, said a new manager had been appointed at the facility.

Thobakgale said after consulting Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola, he had decided to invoke Section 112 of the Correctional Services Act.

“This is a necessary remedy following this embarrassing incident which has undermined the authority of the state.

“The findings of the report point to the fact that the director of Mangaung Correctional Centre has lost effective control of the facility, amongst other factors, and the Correctional Services Act does provide for a mechanism to restore safety and security by taking control of the correctional centre by means of appointing a temporary manager,” Thobakgale said.

The temporary manager, Patrick Ali Mashabathakga, will perform the function of the director and will be supported by other officials appointed to ensure the correctional facility can render the required services without any shortcomings.

His appointment is effective immediately.

Mashabathakga is said to have experience running a super-maximum facility.

Thobakgale said the department had previously taken over the Mangaung facility and Mashabathakga was part of the team at the time.

This comes after Correctional Services said earlier this week it would not be renewing its contract with G4S to run the facility.

Thobakgale said: “Restoring control and prudent management systems are key priorities in the effective running of a correctional facility.

“Critical to this is the enforcement of standard operating procedures, where rules and regulations are aligned towards humane treatment, safety and security of inmates, officials and service providers.

“It is necessary that an intervention of this nature be undertaken due to a number of security breaches and other disturbing practices identified by the investigation report on Thabo Bester.

“When compounded with the post-mortem and DNA sequencing results, it becomes vividly clear that as Correctional Services, we are dealing with a well calculated and organised escape debacle,” he said.

Thobakgale said an investigation by the SAPS was necessary as it was clear that criminal elements could not be ruled out.

Bester supposedly burnt to death in his Mangaung Correctional Centre 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 seen in Sandton shopping at a supermarket two months after he was apparently burnt to death.

Correctional Services admitted on Friday the burnt body found in Bester’s cell in May 2022 was not Bester, and he had probably escaped from the public-private prison facility in Mangaung.

At the weekend, it was announced the DNA analysis conducted on the charred remains found in the cell confirmed that the body was not Bester’s but that an unknown person.

Police have since opened a murder case.

“Findings of the investigation report clearly reveal that Thabo Bester was assisted to escape from lawful custody on May 3, 2022, yet the contractor maintains that he died in his cell. This is contrary to the overwhelming scientific evidence available.

“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.

“This talks to a facility that has compromised its security system beyond any reasonable doubt.

“Tampering with surveillance cameras points to a failed monitoring system deliberately orchestrated to conceal crucial evidence and individuals who aided Bester to escape,” Thobakgale said.

“This is also a failure to guarantee safe custody of inmates and a breach in terms of the responsibilities allocated to the contractor.”

He said this did not exonerate the officials employed by Correctional Services to oversee and monitor operations at the correctional facility which ought to be in line with the Correctional Services Act and Concession Contract.

Thobakgale also announced the suspension of the director of contract management based at the Correctional Services head office, and the DCS controller and deputy controller at the Mangaung Correctional Centre.

He said the Correctional Services Investigation Unit had started looking into the conduct of two officials.

He also announced the appointment of Gladys Rantente as the DCS Controller for the Mangaung Correctional Centre.

He said the DCS had referred the concession contracted and related documents for legal advice, exploring other remedies available to the department.

“DCS shall never hesitate to act with vigour in order to ensure that there is no dereliction from the core mandate of corrections.

“Those attempting to undermine authority of the state must know fully of the consequences. This has been a complicated case and continues to be challenging as the department is working around the clock to stabilise the centre and be efficient in its operations.

“A track and tracing team is hard at work looking for Thabo Bester and we continue to appeal to those who may have information or leads to come forward.

“We remain confident that we shall arrest the fugitive and bring him to justice. No stone will be left unturned in getting to the bottom of this incident,” Thobakgale said.

He said he could not answer questions on the identity of the charred remains or Bester’s whereabouts as the police were investigating the matter.

When asked by the media why the department was only now briefing the public, Thobakgale said: “The investigation itself took long. We were furnished with the DNA results and post-mortem report in October whilst we were busy doing the investigation.

“A draft report on the investigation was submitted to the director of contract management in December and the final report was only submitted to the office of the national commission on March 22, 2023. This is one of the reasons why some of these officials have been served with suspension notices because we have identified that the investigation process was not managed properly.

“The department went out to inform the public about the conclusion that there has been an escape on March 25, 2023,” he said.

Thobakgale said the fact that Bester could run a business from a correctional facility was the reason they were taking these steps as the act and operating procedures were clear. He said they would be looking into this to ensure it never happened again.

robin.francke@inl.co.za

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