Private security company G4S, which runs the Mangaung Correctional Centre from where Thabo Bester escaped, has revealed that CCTV cameras were not working on the morning of the convicted rapist and murderer’s escape.
The security company runs the maximum prison facility in Bloemfontein in a public-private partnership with government.
G4S explained its involvement in the Bester saga before the Justice and Correctional Services Portfolio Committee on Wednesday.
Bester, dubbed the Facebook rapist, escaped from prison during the morning of 3 May 2022 by faking his own death.
“The CCTV system was fully operational, except for the cameras covering the unit where inmate Bester was held and the administrative building,” G4S director Jacobus Groenewoud told lawmakers.
“The video cameras of these two buildings function on the same power circuit and it came to our attention that power to that circuit had failed during the period 19:38 and 04:11 at 02 and 03 May 2022.”
The head of the prison Joseph Manyathi also gave insight into the first of many events that would have snow-balled into Bester's successful escape, starting from the day he asked to be isolated until the day before he staged a fire in his cell..
"On 30 April 2022 we received an application from inmate Bester where he was applying to be kept in a single cell for his own safety of which we handled accordingly and it was approved by the DCS controller onsite.
"Inmate Bester was placed in cell 35 and on 2 May 2022 and 7:30 in the evening after we done the roll count we can confirm that all cells were locked for the night as well as the cell of inmate Bester."
Over the weekend, Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola confirmed that G4S employees are implicated in Bester’s escape last year.
On Wednesday, G4S Audit and Risk Director Gert Byleveld confirmed that out of the 23 staff on duty the morning Bester escaped, three had since been dismissed.
