A Mozambican and a Zimbabwean national who were serving sentences for crimes including rape, robbery and housebreaking broke out of the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre in Pretoria
PRETORIA, December 9 (ANA) – A Mozambican national and a Zimbabwean who were serving sentences for crimes including rape, robbery and housebreaking at the Kgosi Mampuru prison in South Africa’s capital Pretoria have escaped, the department of correctional services said on Wednesday.
“The department of correctional services (DCS) has launched a manhunt following an escape of two sentenced inmates,” department spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said in a statement.
“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 pair was still at large and members of the department of correctional services’ Emergency Support Team were working closely with the South African Police Service 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 the nearest police station should they come into contact with them,” Nxumalo added.
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 province and the correctional services department were leading the manhunt for Asiphe Mfusi Zinyateli, Reuben Khemi and Tshepo Mogawane.
– African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa
