A 35-year-old inmate, Yanga Wayithi, has escaped from the Pollsmoor Correctional Centre in Cape Town, prompting a manhunt by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Department of Correctional Services (DCS).
Wayithi was serving a six-month sentence for theft and trespassing and had been assigned to a work team responsible for maintaining the facility’s grounds.
The DCS has launched an internal investigation to determine the circumstances of the escape and has urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities.
This incident comes as the DCS briefs parliament on its action plan to comply with the remedial actions of the Public Protector on its report on the escape of Thabo Bester from Mangaung Correctional Centre.
Bester, known as the “Facebook rapist,” escaped from prison in May 2022 and was later arrested in Tanzania.
The Public Protector’s report found that there was an “undue delay” in how the department handled Bester’s prison escape.
