Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to thank hon members for affording us the opportunity to make this statement this afternoon.
Between 17:00 and 18:00 on Monday, 31 May 2010, a total of 41 awaiting- trial detainees escaped from section B of the Harrismith correctional facility during lockdown time.
This escape represents by far the largest group of inmates to escape from our facilities to date. I felt it important that we should report to the House and to the South African public the known circumstances surrounding the escapes, as well as the actions that we have already taken to deal with the matter.
Upon receiving this report, the National Commissioner and I visited the centre yesterday to ascertain the facts about the escapes and how they happened. From the information at our disposal so far, it seems that during the change of shifts after lockdown on the day in question, the head of the awaiting trial detention, ATD, section allowed officials to leave early and undertook that he would conduct the handover to the next shift himself.
Not only was this decision highly irregular, but it also resulted in the facility operating under capacity, as it left a time gap between the change of shifts.
Secondly, the same head of section allowed for another irregularity when he gave permission, against policy, for an advocate to enter the holding cells to consult with a client after lockdown, without the necessary capacity to even escort this advocate safely into the holding cells.
It was after this consultation, as they tried to lock the advocate's client up in the communal cell, that the head of the section, together with another official who accompanied the advocate to section B, were accosted and overpowered by the detainees.
Now in possession of keys, the detainees then proceeded to open the other cells to release other detainees before advancing towards the administration block of the centre. The correctional official who guards the entrance gate at the admin block was then made to open the gate under the pretence that he was opening for the two officials who initially went to section B. This was as a result of the detainees knowing the code used between officials to request the opening of doors and gates.
In addition, it is important to understand that there is a peephole, and that the correctional officer did not look through the peephole to verify the identity of the people at the door. The detainees forced this official to open the gun safe, took two firearms and proceeded to the main gate where the official on duty opened the gate for them to leave.
I am particularly disturbed by the actions of the head of the awaiting- trial detention section who disregarded departmental protocol by allowing a shift to knock off without a handover, and further allowing a consultation to take place between a detainee and a lawyer after lockdown.
It has also been brought to my attention and that of the National Commissioner that some of the escaped detainees are charged with serious crimes.
We have since taken the following action: We have decided that a multidepartmental investigation should be instituted to investigate the matter further. This will also include criminal charges to be laid against those who are found to have been complicit in this incident.
It is also important to mention that by the time that we arrived there, the South African Police Service, SAPS, had already been seized upon this matter.
We have decided that the head of the awaiting-trial detention section and the official, who was at the gate during this incident, should be dismissed summarily, as of today. We have decided that a risk assessment of all our centres needs to be conducted urgently, looking at both infrastructural and human risks that lead to escapes.
I am raising this because, as much as this is a medium facility designed to accommodate inmates who are categorised as "mediums", what we have found is that, in the awaiting-trial detention section, we had inmates who were charged with violent and serious crimes and who should never have been placed in that facility in the first place.
By close of day yesterday, eight of the escapees had already been rearrested and sent back to the centre. I want to reassure you that everything will be done, both to get to the bottom of these recent escapes, and to deal with the inherent system risks to avoid these levels of escapes in the future.
We once again call upon the members of the public not to panic. We know that this is portraying us as the weakest link in the chain of the security preparations for the World Cup, however, we want to assure you that everything will be done to apprehend these awaiting trial detainees.
We also appeal to members of the South African public that, should they see these escapees, they should not approach or attempt to apprehend them, but should report them to the nearest police station. Thank you. [Applause.]