Inmate rearrested after escape from Boksburg Correctional Centre

An inmate who escaped from the Boksburg Correctional Centre has been rearrested, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) confirmed.

Martin Jackson escaped from the facility on Wednesday.

DCS spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said Jackson was rearrested on Thursday and successfully returned to custody.

Arrest

“This swift apprehension demonstrates the department’s commitment in ensuring that all inmates serve their sentences as mandated by the courts.

“The Department of Correctional Services is conducting a full investigation to understand the circumstances surrounding the escape and to prevent future incidents. The inmate will now face additional criminal charges related to the escape,” Nxumalo said.

Thabo Bester escape

Among the most widely reported escapes in South Africa is that of convicted murderer and rapist Thabo Bester.

Bester escaped from the G4S-run Mangaung Correctional Centre (MCC) in Bloemfontein in May 2022, allegedly with the help of his girlfriend, Nandipha Magudumana, after it was initially believed he had committed suicide by setting himself alight in his cell.

Bester and Magudumana were apprehended in Arusha, Tanzania in April 2023 after fleeing South Africa.

Nandipha Magudumana

On Thursday, Magudumana in the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) accused South African authorities of colluding with Tanzania to deport her and her former partner, Thabo Bester, back to South Africa.

She is contesting a July 2023 ruling by the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein, which dismissed her appeal.

Her initial application, challenging the legality of her arrest, was rejected on 5 June 2023.

The court ruled that she had consented to be returned to South Africa to be reunited with her children.

“Disguised extradition”

During Thursday’s proceedings, Magudumana’s legal representative, Advocate Anton Katz, argued that her “disguised extradition” in the form of deportation was unlawful, asserting that she could not consent to an act of illegality.

Katz pointed out that High Court Judge Phillip Loubser had concluded that Magudumana’s return to South Africa was, in fact, an extradition with no formal process rather than a deportation.

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