[imagesource: Ayanda Ndamane/African News Agency]

On Friday, videos began circulating showing a large number of prisoners escaping from Malmesbury Prison.

According to the South African justice ministry, 68 prisoners escaped at around midday, after overpowering officials during an exercise period.

They then took the keys and locked the officials in a cell, before opening other cells and fleeing via the main entrance and the roof.

There were as many as 451 inmates for the 20 on-duty wardens to look after.

If you haven’t yet seen the videos, here’s a good place to start:

Prisoners escape Malmesbury. Some even hijacked a vehicle. pic.twitter.com/HqugqzLu5M

— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) July 24, 2020

There’s also this video from on the scene, filmed after police arrived on the scene:

PRISON BREAK SA# inmates escaped at the Malmesbury prison. #MalmesburyPrisoners pic.twitter.com/uS6fkW4dLl

— Chief Erican (@EricanSA) July 24, 2020

It wasn’t long before footage of some of the escapees being recaptured started to filter in:

Some of the Malmesbury escapees have been recaptured. pic.twitter.com/Gmo9H3PviP

— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) July 24, 2020

This, too:

@eNCA Malmesbury pic.twitter.com/qJJPPXSvdI

— Ian (@adams_ian) July 24, 2020

Efforts to recapture the escaped prisoners were intensive, as you can see from this video of a chopper landing on the fields of Hoërskool Swartland:

#Ontsnap: ‘n Helikopter land op Hoërskool Swartland in Malmesbury se gronde om by die soektog na ontsnapte gevangenes aan te sluit.@eNuus pic.twitter.com/TJY144lNvk

— NadineTheron (@NadineTheron) July 24, 2020

Thankfully, all 68 inmates have been recaptured, and all within 76 hours, reports IOL:

Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola thanked all role players and community members for their willingness to assist law enforcement agencies with critical information, as well as correctional services officials for swiftly restoring stability, the ministry said in a brief statement…

[Western Cape correctional services regional commissioner Delekile] Klaas said the department’s emergency support team and the South African Police Service (SAPS) had intensified the search for the remaining prisoners…

Klaas said the situation was stabilised at the facility and the emergency support team had been activated to monitor the centre. Some of the “problematic inmates” had been transferred out of the facility to maximum facilities in the region.

I’m sure many residents of Malmesbury, and the surrounding areas, will be thankful that the escapees have been returned to the prison.

Whilst this shouldn’t have happened in the first place, props to law enforcement for acting so swiftly in the hours that followed.

Now get cracking on our politicians, please.

[source:iol]