SOWETAN | G4S must come clean on Bester escape

On its website, G4S, the company managing the Mangaung prison on behalf of the government, boasts of its internationally successful custodial record. 

“The purpose-built prison ensures that even though facilities are extensive and provide a range of opportunities for inmates to learn and develop new skills, security is tight and controlled at all times,” the site reads.  

The events of May 2022 demonstrate that nothing could be further from the truth. 

The escape of rapist and murderer Thabo Bester from the facility has proven to be a twisted, horror story that has highly embarrassed the government and undermined already low public confidence in the correctional services system. 

Details of what allegedly happened in the lead up to the escape suggest well-planned collusion between Bester, prison officials and possibly other parties.

Earlier this week, prison insiders told this newspaper that hours before a fire that broke out at Bester’s cell, a wooden kist suspected to have been carrying a corpse was driven into the prison.

It was allegedly not checked as it made its way to the woodwork workshop under the pretence that it needed repairs.

Three people who were present on the day told us they believe a body in the kist was then transported to  Bester’s cell, burnt and left there to create an impression that he had committed suicide.

Yet, with all the evidence in the public domain convincingly demonstrating that Bester had escaped, G4S insists that he died in the fire.

The company’s statement on Tuesday only admitted that there were suspicious circumstances surrounding the fire to which they claim to have alerted the police.

The company confirmed that it dismissed some staff members in connection with the incident, yet it failed to account to the nation on the nature of the breach found by its investigations. 

Thereafter the G4S conveniently shelters itself behind the officialdom of an ongoing police investigation to avoid public accountability for what is a clear case of negligence.

It must not be allowed to simply brush off demands for answers.

This company has a 25-year contract with our government, which is based on its promise to keep convicted criminals behind bars. 

In this case it failed spectacularly to do that, raising questions about the effectiveness of its controls for many other inmates under its care.

Therefore, mounting calls to have its contract with the government investigated and reviewed are completely justified.