News24.com | Unauthorised car entered prison days before Thabo Bester escaped, Parliament hears

Thabo Bester.

• A vehicle was allowed into the Mangaung Correctional Centre days before Thabo Bester's escape.
• G4S is testifying at the Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services briefing on the escaped convict.
• G4S allegedly only found out about the car in February 2023. 

An unauthorised vehicle was somehow able to enter the Mangaung Correctional Centre (MCC) days before convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester is said to have escaped.

The regional commercial director for G4S Africa, Cobus Groenewoud, was told this by the Department of Correctional Services on 28 February this year.

Groenewoud was the first to testify at Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services briefing on the escaped convict on Tuesday.

He said the department was given an observation notice, which is the official process for it to escalate perceived non-compliance at the MCC.

This formed part of investigations into how the facility reacted to the incident.

Said Groenewoud: "The observation notice states that a vehicle was driven through the Sally Port gate without a gate pass on 29 April 2022."

The gate is a controlled access point to the prison where a vehicle must pass through to enter a second gate into the facility.

READ | Dr Nandipha's dad, former G4S guard charged with murder linked to Thabo Bester escape

He added the unauthorised vehicle was allowed into the facility unchecked, days before Bester's escape on 3 May 2022.

Groenewoud said the MCC had immediately launched an investigation into the incident, adding the probe was ongoing and the MCC would provide a response "in accordance with the timeframes agreed with the department".

The committee also heard from MCC director Joseph Monyante, who said there were no smoke detectors in the entire facility.

ANC MP Xola Nqola had queried a discrepancy in times in which the facility responded to the fire in Bester's cell.

Nqola asked why, if every report said the fire broke out at around 02:30, did G4S tell Parliament on Wednesday it started at 04:00.

He also asked if the company was misleading Parliament.

READ | Inside the lavish home Dr Nandipha Magudumana shared with rapist Thabo Bester and her daughters

Groenewoud said smoke was detected at 03:00, but this was ignored, adding the fire was detected at 04:00.

"I have no knowledge and I have no proof that the fire started at 02:30."

Committee chairperson Gratitude Magwanishe asked G4S if the fire broke out at 02:30 and the system only picked it up at 04:00 "was this not gross incompetence"?

Monyante said there were no smoke detectors in the MCC, and they relied on human detection to pick up if there were any issues in the prison.