Eight correctional officials were served with notices of contemplation of suspension pending the outcome of an investigation. Edward Khomotso Madiba was detained in a single cell on a further charge related to a previous escape when he allegedly broke out of the correctional centre on Sunday (6/9).

Preliminary information indicates Madiba cut through the burglar-bar door of the single cells, said department of correctional services (DCS) spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo.

“DCS has activated its security detail and is working with other law enforcement agencies to locate and apprehend the escapee as a matter of urgency. All necessary measures are being implemented to ensure offender Madiba is traced and brought back into custody.”

Meanwhile, Popcru said the incident cannot be separated from longstanding infrastructural challenges confronting Rooigrond Correctional Centre.

“Popcru has consistently raised concerns about the deteriorating state of correctional infrastructure and the consequences this has for the safety of our members, inmates and surrounding communities. 

“A correctional centre can only remain secure when the physical infrastructure designed to contain inmates and protect officials is properly maintained and fit for purpose,” said provincial secretary Johannes Dire.

Dilapidated buildings, compromised security infrastructure, and delayed maintenance inevitably increase the risks confronting correctional officials who are expected to maintain security under increasingly difficult conditions, he added.

Parliamentary oversight has previously identified serious challenges at the facility. During an oversight visit, parliament’s portfolio committee on justice and correctional services heard about water shortages caused by clogged pipes and was informed of frustration over the slow pace at which the department of public works and infrastructure was responding to problems at the centre.

Dire said three contractors sourced to address water-supply problems had reportedly had their services terminated because of non-delivery.

Overcrowding

More recent reporting by the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS) has also highlighted concerns at the facility.

Dire said JICS’s 2025/26 third-quarter reporting rated the conditions at Rooigrond Medium A as unsatisfactory and recorded that the centre was housing 788 inmates against approved accommodation for 645, representing approximately 22% overcrowding.

JICS further identified dilapidated infrastructure, including broken windowpanes, leaking roofs, poorly maintained ablution facilities and severe water shortages that resulted in reliance on JoJo tanks. 

“It is therefore unacceptable that correctional officials should be expected to compensate through human effort for infrastructure that is no longer adequately supporting the security function of correctional facilities. Our members cannot become the human substitute for broken infrastructure, delayed maintenance and years of insufficient investment.”

Dire said the latest incident was not the first escape associated with Rooigrond Medium A. In March 2022, Popcru condemned the escape of four inmates from the same centre after it was reported they had cut through window bars and used sheets to escape through the facility’s security perimeter.

He said the latest escape should compel DCS to determine whether vulnerabilities previously identified were comprehensively addressed and whether the current physical security arrangements remain appropriate for the inmate population housed at the centre.

 OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi dg

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