The Deputy Minister of Correctional Services, Leonah Ntshalintshali, says the department has implemented all remedial actions required by the Public Protector regarding the Thabo Bester escape.

In May 2022, Bester escaped from a private prison in Bloemfontein by faking his death in a cell fire.

In the report by the Public Protector finalised in October last year, remedial action calls for an escape prevention strategy and guidelines for handling corruption reports.

Ntshalintshali has told Parliament’s Correctional Services Committee that these have been implemented.

“We were given 90 days to comply, to set in an escape prevention strategy and 120 days for whistleblowing, as a department we have complied.”

Department of Correctional Services’ briefing on Thabo Bester’s escape from Mangaung Correctional Centre: 

Bester, his girlfriend Nandipha Magudumana and seven co-accused face a range of charges including aiding and abetting a convicted criminal to escape from lawful custody, fraud, corruption and violating a corpse.

A new trial date was set in a virtual court sitting on the 13th of January, which pushed the trial date back to July.

VIDEO| Public Protector briefs the media on  Thabo Bester’s prison escape: