Prisoner escapes grow sketchy
Pini Bothoko | Thursday October 25, 2018 15:13
Initially, five prisoners had escaped from Selebi-Phikwe but police managed to re-arrest two of them one later that day whilst the other was arrested on Monday early morning leaving three on the run. On Monday yet another two prisoners both Zimbabweans escaped from the Broadhurst Magistrate’s Court.
It’s still unclear how the said prisoners managed to escape, as when reached for an interview prison management refused to go into details concerning what really transpired.
Asked how the prisoners managed to escape, senior superintendent Kabelo Gaseitsewe of Botswana Prisons Service decline to comment any further on what transpired.
“I cannot at this point go into details on how they escaped or what really transpired. Investigations to establish that are ongoing,” Gaseitsewe said.
However, it is reported that they approached the prison warder at the prison gate and told him that they were to be interrogated by another senior officer.
All of a sudden they allegedly snatched the keys from the unsuspecting guard and a scuffle ensued, over powered him, unlocked the prison gate and escaped.
That Sunday around 4pm the police managed to recapture Onkemetse Baseki, 27, of Moletemane village serving six-months imprisonment after he was charged with common nuisance. On Monday early morning police also recaptured Boitumelo Makgasane, 33, of the same village remanded for the offence of murder leaving three still on the run.
Reached for a comment, Gaseitsewe cautioned members of the public to be on the look out, as the prisoners are considered ‘dangerous’.
“Prisoners currently on the run from Selebi-Phikwe prison are Akanyang Molatlhegi, 25, of Moletemane village who is serving 25 years jail term for murder, Tumelo Moyo, 21, a Zimbabwean national remanded for robbery and Xolani Dube also a Zimbabwean national facing the offence of rape and robbery after he was sentenced for 10 years imprisonment,” said Gaseitsewe.
Gaseitsewe said the manhunt for escaped prisoners continues adding that members of the prison service and other security organs are working around the clock to recapture the prisoners.
“We are also on the hunt for Fortune Ndlovu, 29, remanded for armed robbery and Vivian Demba, 38, remanded for house breaking both Zimbabweans who escaped from Broadhurst Magistrate Court last Monday when appearing for mention on their pending cases,” he said.