Nearly half of the 167 awaiting-trial prisoners who have escaped from police custody in the Eastern Cape over the past four years are still at large — a situation experts and politicians warn is placing communities at serious risk. These figures revealed by community safety MEC Xolile Nqatha in response to questions from DA chief whip Yusuf Cassim showed that between the 2022/2023 and 2025/2026 financial years, 167 detainees fled custody, with only 85 rearrested. In the 2025/2026 financial year alone, 30 detainees have already escaped, with causes including wrongful releases, escapes during transport and negligence by police officials.
Poor conditions at holding cells were also flagged as a contributing factor. District data showed OR Tambo, Chris Hani and Sarah Baartman consistently recorded the highest number of escapes over the four-year period. The worst period was the 2023/2024 financial year, when 58 detainees escaped, 32 of whom remain at large.
One of the more disturbing cases occurred in February 2023 when police rearrested a 32-year-old man who had escaped custody in Maluti with five others in November 2022. He had been awaiting trial on charges including assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, housebreaking and vehicle theft. After his escape, police tracked him to the Matatiele mountains, where he was allegedly found in possession of a cellphone, laptop, router and vehicle keys stolen during a housebreaking.
Read Full Article on Daily Dispatch
[paywall]
It was alleged that on January 14 2023, he broke into a home in the Dack location in Matatiele, stabbed a 36-year-old woman multiple times, forced her into her vehicle and drove her about 50km to Mvenyane Forest, where she was further assaulted. He later allegedly drove off in her car, leaving her behind. The vehicle was found abandoned 35km away.
[/paywall]
All Zim News – Bringing you the latest news and updates.
