Mariné Jacobs

Bloemfontein - The doctor who is being held hostage at the Mangaung Correctional Centre outside Bloemfontein's family has been notified but police are withholding his identity from the media and general public.

Free State police spokesperson Thabo Litabe earlier this afternoon confirmed that two inmates, who cannot be identified at this stage, are currently holding a doctor with knives inside the prison.

The hostage drama started at about 10:30. They are demanding to be transferred to a prison in Gauteng. Litabe says a nurse was initially held hostage with the doctor, but she has meanwhile been released unharmed. The police task force and hostage negotiators are at the scene and attempting to defuse the situation.
 
Litabe says the one inmate is doing time for rape, and the other for robbery, theft and unlawful possession of fire arms.

OFM News's Mariné Jacobs is at the prison and says the taking of photographs or video footage has been strictly forbidden.