G4S tell MPs Bester applied for single cell before escape
Thabo Bester's escape was only one of two in a period of 22 years at the Mangaung Correctional Centre in comparison to over 500 recorded across various prisons in the country.
This is what G4S told Members of Parliament on Wednesday.
The security company runs the maximum prison facility in Bloemfontein in a public-private partnership with government.
G4S explained its involvement in the Bester saga before the Justice and Correctional Services Portfolio Committee.
READ: WATCH: Two Thabo Bester accomplices remanded in custody
Head at the Mangaung Correction Centre Joseph Manyathi maintained that the facility still has an impeccable record.
"I want to also present that we have got robust processes that are designed to prevent escapes that might happen at MCC. In this regard MCC has been of the most secure correctional centre in South Africa.
"Why I am saying that? Over 22 years there has been two escape incidents from Mangaung, the second one which includes Thabo Bester and the other is an inmate that escaped from the outside hospital when he went for medical attention."
He also gave insight into the first of many events that would have snow-balled into Bester's successful escape, starting from the day he asked to be isolated until the day before the staged a fire in his cell.
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"On 30 April 2022 we received an application from inmate Bester where he was applying to be kept in a single cell for his own safety of which we handled accordingly and it was approved by the DCS controller onsite.
"Inmate Bester was placed in cell 35 and on 2 May 2022 and 7:30 in the evening after we done the roll count we can confirm that all cells were locked for the night as well as the cell of inmate Bester."
