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Special guards, cell for Mathe
04/12/2006 16:48 - (SA)
Pretoria - Correctional services officials who were stationed at C-Max when Annanias Mathe escaped will not guard the suspected rapist/robber again.
Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour said several officials who were suspected of helping Mathe were on suspension pending an investigation headed by an agent from the national intelligence agency.
"There are people who are on suspension who are being interviewed by the team.
"If he (Mathe) goes back there (C-Max), he will not be meeting the people that we suspect," Balfour said.
Mathe, who faces more than 50 charges - including murder, attempted murder, rape, hijacking and armed robbery - escaped from the country's most-secure prison more than two week ago.
Stabbed man in the face
He was shot, wounded and re-arrested on Monday after a car he stole was tracked to Tembisa on the East Rand.
An employee of Altech Netstar, the company that tracked the car, chased Mathe, who stabbed him in the face.
The employee then fired shots at Mathe, hitting him in the buttocks and legs.
Mathe was taken to C-Max in Pretoria, but on Monday afternoon was rushed to hospital under heavy police and correctional services guard.
He was to have surgery for a broken bone in his leg where he was wounded during his Monday-morning arrest.
Balfour said: "We have to look after the wellness of people even when they are offenders,".
He did not say to which hospital Mathe would be taken, but said he would be taken back to C-Max as soon as the operation was over.
"His blood pressure is dropping... apparently the bone shattered where they shot him.
"We have agreed that he could be taken to hospital, he's still a human being."
Special cell set aside
He said Mathe would have to receive post-operative care in C-Max prison.
"After surgery, he's going right back where he belongs," said Balfour. He added that a special cell had been set aside for Mathe.
He had pleaded with the justice department to speed up Mathe's case.
"It must be finalised so that we know where to send him," said Balfour.
- SAPA
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