Seven make jailbreak
2003-11-14 07:00
Pretoria - Seven men including two cop killers and four hijackers escaped from the Lyttelton police cells in Centurion on Thursday night, taking with them three police service pistols and two magazines.
Police spokesperson Captain Piletji Sebola said escapees Warren Molele, 23, and John Mahlangu, 24, were awaiting trial for the murder of Inspector Marco Wahl at Fort Klapperkop in Pretoria earlier this year. Two other escapees, Prince Deko, 36, and Solly Shabamba, 28, were accused of hijacking president spokesperson Bheki Khumalo in Centurion a few months ago.
Sebola said a policeman was busy locking the cells for the night when he was attacked just after 22:00.
"As he tried to pull the cell door closed, he was assaulted by the suspects who demanded his fire-arm," said Sebola.
They took his unloaded service pistol, tied him up, stuffed a blanket in his mouth and covered him with other blankets before pulling the door closed and running into the client services centre. There the suspects held up the four police officials on duty, taking two of their service pistols, two magazines and the keys to one of the police officials' private vehicles before running away.
Sebola said a 20-year-old escapee was accused of burglary while two others - Ayanda Nxumalo, 23, and Xolile Jacobs, 24, were awaiting trial on hijacking charges.
- SAPA