Police arrest sixth escapee

Date: 20 June 2018 By: Andries van Zyl

The police have re-arrested a sixth prisoner who managed to escape from the Kutama Sinthumule Correctional Centre in Louis Trichardt in 2017.

Seven highly dangerous prisoners managed to escape from custody on the evening of 27 October last year amidst protest action by prison wardens, which escalated into a full-blown prison riot.

Limpopo provincial police spokesperson Col Moatshe Ngoepe confirmed on Tuesday that a sixth escapee, the 34-year-old Phathutshedzo Nemadodzi, was re-arrested during an intelligence-led joint operation during the early hours of that morning. Nemadodzi was in prison for murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances. Ngoepe said that Nemadodzi, from Dididi village outside Thohoyandou, had been apprehended while hiding at his home.  

Nemadodzi’s arrest brings to six the total number of the escapees who have been re-arrested up to now. The other five escapees who were re-arrested earlier are Chris Faku (37), Jabulani Isaac Mahlangu (32) from Pretoria, Ntshengedzeni Manukha (26) from Thohoyandou, Ntshavheni Thomas Munyai (30) from Riverside and Justice Makamo (28) from Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, the police are still searching for the seventh escapee, the 30-year-old Raphaelj Nyota from Harare in Zimbabwe. At the time of his escape, he was also serving a sentence for murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances.

Ngoepe urged the public to help track down Nyota. Anyone with information that can lead to his re-arrest can contact Colonel Nyelisani Mabatha at 082 565 8171, the Crime Stop number at 08600 10111, the Crime Line SMS at 32211 or their nearest police station.

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Andries van Zyl

Andries joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in April 1993 as a darkroom assistant. Within a couple of months he moved over to the production side of the newspaper and eventually doubled as a reporter. In 1995 he left the newspaper group and travelled overseas for a couple of months. In 1996, Andries rejoined the Zoutpansberger as a reporter. In August 2002, he was appointed as News Editor of the Zoutpansberger, a position he holds until today.

More photos... 

Police continue their hunt for the last escapee, the 30-year-old Raphaelj Nyota from Zimbabawe. Photo supplied.