Police have confirmed that a second prisoner who escaped Waainek Correctional Facility earlier this week was caught near Makhanda last night. Seven prisoners escaped the Makhanda prison during the early hours of Tuesday morning. One was arrested after an accident in the Free State and five are still on the run.
Sources told Talk of the Town that the SAPS/ DCS task team had been dispatched around 9pm last night after hearing that four men were hitch-hiking on the N2 to King William’s Town, about 15km from Makhanda. TOTT understands that three ran into bush in the area and are still being pursued with the assistance of tracker dogs.
South African Police Service spokesperson Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli said last night’s arrest was made around 10pm. In naming the arrested man, Nkohli explained that there had been a mix-up in names with the earlier arrest.
An accident in the Free State landed the first in hospital and back in custody hours after the breakout. Nkohli confirmed Thursday that the seriously injured man is Bennet Kwarrie, a Zimbabwean, detained for housebreaking and theft and attempted murder.
Simba Masinge was arrested last night. Masinge is one of the six men convicted together with Francis Chitiyo, Trymore Chauke, Nhamo Muyambo, Misheck Chauke and Abraham Moyane on charges of conspiracy to poach rhinos in the Makhanda High Court on 30 September.
The poachers were arrested on the N2 near Makhanda in July 2018 and, together with Misheck Chauke, who was not named as one of the escapees, had been in custody ever since.
The judgment was precedent-setting in that it was the first case from arrest to conviction for conspiracy to poach rhinos, and the first case in the Eastern Cape to test evidence without there being a dead rhino or a rhino horn.
