Houdini escape 'needs new probe'
2007-03-07 10:37
Johannesburg - A prisoners' organisation on Tuesday said it was "delighted and enlightened" over the rejection of a report on the mysterious escape of Annanias Mathe from Pretoria's C-Max prison.
Parliament's portfolio committee on correctional services on Tuesday rejected the findings of the task team set up to investigate Mathe's escape and called for a fresh probe.
"The portfolio committee rejection of the report does not come as a surprise to the South African Prisoners' Organisation for Human Rights (SAPOHR)," said Golden Miles Bhudu, SAPOHR president.
The committee under Dennis Bloem had demonstrated leadership over recent months that was "uncompromising and unbiased", he said.
Deliberate lies
The organisation welcomed recommendations that the investigation must be extended to include allegations of R80 000 paid to orchestrate Mathe's escape and reports that he used vaseline to slip out of a barred prison window.
"SAPOHR is still at pains about the deliberate lies, misinformation, propaganda and misleading statements made by correctional services' 'spin-doctors' to this end," said Bhudu.
"We further recommend that the investigation be extended to investigate the lies fed to the South African public about how Mathe really escaped."
Bhudu said those on duty on the night of the escape must be charged, put on paid leave, be investigated, brought to court and, if guilty, sent to prison.
"Finish and klaar," he added.
Bhudu said he hoped Mathe would be kept safe in prison and called upon the prisoner to tell "nothing else but the truth".
The portfolio committee said the task team's report had failed to explain the mystery surrounding Mathe's escape.
"The report leaves a lot to be desired as it does not provide answers on how Mathe could have escaped," African National Congress MP Nkosi Xolo said.
The task team, comprising investigators from correctional services, the National Intelligence Agency and the police, could not find evidence suggesting that Mathe was actively assisted by prison officials during his escape last year.
It endorsed suggestions that Mathe could have escaped through a tiny prison window.
"How could he have escaped through such a small window? The task team's report leaves us with more questions than answers.
"An independent task team headed by a retired judge should be appointed to re-investigate this matter," Xolo said.
Democratic Alliance MP James Self said South Africans would never know how Mathe managed to escape from the country's top security prison unless criminal charges were brought against prison officials.
Mathe escaped from C-Max on November 18.
- SAPA