DANGEROUS LIFER GOES FOR A STROLL
Shock as warder takes a murderer for a 5km walk through city streets
ACONVICTED murderer and robber enjoyed an hour of freedom on Thursday when an alleged botch-up with prison transport saw him strolling for five kilometres through Mthatha in his Day-Glo orange prison overalls with his leg chains and ankle restraints tossed casually over his shoulder.
A freelance photographer could not believe his eyes when he spotted the prisoner walking through the city street, with only his hands cuffed, and his correctional services guard loping alongside wearing his brown prison uniform and the brim of his official hat cocked at jaunty angle.
The photographer, whose identity is being withheld as he fears a backlash, snapped away at the unlikely pair.
His photographs seem to indicate that the correctional services official was unarmed but the Saturday Dispatch was unable to confirm this.
The photograph shows that the guard is carrying a rolled up folder in his left hand. His right hand is empty.
Eastern Cape Correctional Services commissioner Nkosinathi Breakfast was furious when he learned of this serious breach of prison regulations.
“I can’t believe an official would embarrass the department of correctional services like that.”
The department immediately launched an investigation against a prison guard for breaching prison rules after he apparently escorted a dangerous prisoner serving a life sentence for five kilometres on foot.
The prison guard and the inmate walked side by side from Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital along Sisson Street back to the Wellington Farm Prison north of Mthatha.
Google maps puts the distance walked at 5.3km, which the online search engine calculates will take an hour and five minutes to walk and 11 minutes by car.
Breakfast said the incident happened after the prisoner was referred to the hospital for further medical examination and was on his way back.
The photographer said the two caused a commotion on the busy streets as people turned to gawp in astonishment.
In the pictures the prisoner can be seen carrying his leg irons over his right shoulder while the unarmed guard walks alongside him not paying any attention to the prisoner.
The photographer said: “This caused a stir. There were people in the street buying food because it was lunchtime. You could see the prisoner was humiliated because everyone was staring at him.
“Luckily my camera was with me so I took it out and started shooting. I couldn't believe my eyes.”
Although the prisoner's hands remained cuffed, Breakfast said the prisoner could have run away or even used the leg irons to assault the warder.
Breakfast said a preliminary investigation had discovered that the official acted negligently but said disciplinary action would only be taken after a full investigation had been concluded.
Breakfast said the 55-year-old prisoner hadbeen sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and robbery in 2004.
“He was one of two prisoners who were taken to hospital after our prison doctor referred them to the hospital for further medical examination.”
Breakfast said four guards including the guard under investigation, were dropped at the hospital earlier on Thursday to guard two prisoners.
“Instead of waiting for the transport to fetch them, he decided to take one prisoner and walked with him leaving behind his three colleagues and one prisoner.”
Breakfast said a prisoner in public should always be handcuffed at all times and the warder broke the rules when he took off the prisoner’s leg irons.
Police, Prisons and Civil Rights Union (Popcru) blamed the prison authorities for the incident.
Popcru Eastern Cape chairman, Colonel Loyiso Mdingi, who is also the suspended Hawks unit commander for Mthatha, said that the guard became impatient after prison transport, which was meant to fetch the four officials and the two prisoners, was delayed by more than two hours.
Mdingi claims that the delay took place after the driver was diverted by prison bosses to a butchery to fetch a meat order.
“After he fetched the meat and dropped it off at the prison, the driver was sent on another errand to the 14th SAI battalion army base which is 15 kilometres outside Mthatha.”
Mdingi said he did not condone the actions of the guard, but the prison bosses had acted “irresponsibly” by not prioritising transportation of prisoners from hospital.
“Even though the prisoner is not a Popcru member, we condemn the treatment he was subject to.”
In January, an internal investigation was launched against 13 Mdantsane prison guards after an unbelievable escape on January 10 of four Eastern Cape prisoners who racked up convictions for murder, rape and robbery.
They removed prison doors, scaled high walls and slipped through two electric fences.
Breakfast at the time said prison guards broke a number of basic prison rules.
Three escapees were hunted down and put back in jail, but murderer, rapist and burglar Lihle Zikholisile, 19, from Mthatha, is still free. —