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Special cell for Mathe?
24/05/2007 07:55 - (SA)
Liela Magnus, Beeld
Johannesburg - A special cell may be built to hold C-Max prison escapee Annanias Mathe when his trial is moved to Johannesburg later this year.
Mathe appeared briefly in Pretoria's regional court on Wednesday on a charge of escaping from custody.
The Mozambican is facing 77 charges including rape, attempted murder, robbery with extenuating circumstances, assault and breaking and entering.
Father arrested
Christel Raubenheimer reports that Mathe's father was arrested a few hours after his son's appearance in court, for allegedly trying to smuggle in a bottle concealed in a loaf of bread to him.
Manelisi Wolela, spokesperson for the Department of Correctional Services (DoCS), confirmed that Mathe senior had been arrested at the prison.
A scanner showed there was a small bottle in the bread. Mathe's father is apparently also in the country illegally, because his residence permit has expired.
The bottle is to be sent to the police forensic laboratory to analyse the contents.
Wolela said the police would be taking the matter further.
Mathe senior alleged that someone else had asked him to smuggle in the bottle, Wolela added.
Mathe junior looked relaxed when he appeared in court on Wednesday, cracking jokes with members of the DoCS who were helping to guard him.
He looked a great deal healthier than when he appeared in court previously, in a wheelchair.
He walked upright, stared back at photographers and smiled for the cameras.
Mathe shuffled into court between armed police officers, in his specially-crafted ankle shackles and pink slippers.
The shackles were specially made for him and are solid, so they can't be broken or cut.
Strict surveillance
The case has been postponed to June so that all the charges against him can be centralised.
A Johannesburg magistrate ruled earlier that Mathe should be kept in a Johannesburg jail when the case is transferred to the High Court there.
He is under strict 24-hour surveillance in the hospital of the C-Max prison in Pretoria at present. Members of the correctional services task force are keeping a close watch on him.
A special cell may be built for him, to ensure that he does not escape from C-Max again.
The last time Mathe managed to escape from C-Max, said to be the safest prison in the country, he was at large for several weeks before being recaptured.
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