By ZWANGA MUKHUTHU
Four juvenile prisoners staged a daring break on Tuesday afternoon from the John X Merriman juvenile detention centre in Cambridge.
Vuma Jeholo, Vincent Kort, Achumile Gube and Patrick Bomeni, who are believed to be dangerous, were incarcerated at the centre for various crimes.
The Daily Dispatch understands they escaped at about noon on Tuesday.
It was unclear how they escaped as no response from the Eastern Cape department of social development to questions had been received by the time of writing.
The youths are still at large.
Members of the Cambridge SAPS were called by guards at the centre to assist in searching for the youths shortly after 2pm on Tuesday.
They were seen searching in a forest near the N2 road and in Amalinda.
The search was called off at dusk.
Police spokesman Captain Nkosikho Mzuku said: “I can confirm that police assisted in a search of four juvenile offenders after being informed by security guards.
“The department of social development are the ones who opened the case.”
The Dispatch contacted the department’s MEC Nancy Sihlwayi, her spokesman Mzukisi Solani and department head Stanley Khanyile for comment but they said they were not aware of the escape.
The department’s communications manager Gcobani Maswana, who has in the past assisted with media queries, has been suspended.
Sihlwayi said: “I don’t deal with the media, there are people who are appointed to deal with the media – they are the ones who must assist you because I am not even aware of the incident.”
When contacted for comment on Tuesday evening, Solani said: “The people who have the information that you require have gone home already.
“You can go ahead and write the story, if it needs challenging we will definitely challenge it.”
Khanyile promised to come back to the Dispatch with information.
When the Dispatch visited the scene, four social development officials were seen walking along the periphery of the facility’s barbed wired fence, presumably trying to determine how the youths escaped.
Security has been beefed up, with four guards stationed at the entrance near the electric gate. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
Dangerous juveniles on loose after escape
Four juvenile prisoners staged a daring break on Tuesday afternoon from the John X Merriman juvenile detention centre in Cambridge.
Vuma Jeholo, Vincent Kort, Achumile Gube and Patrick Bomeni, who are believed to be dangerous, were incarcerated at the centre for various crimes.
The Daily Dispatch understands they escaped at about noon on Tuesday.
It was unclear how they escaped as no response from the Eastern Cape department of social development to questions had been received by the time of writing.
The youths are still at large.
Members of the Cambridge SAPS were called by guards at the centre to assist in searching for the youths shortly after 2pm on Tuesday.
They were seen searching in a forest near the N2 road and in Amalinda.
The search was called off at dusk.
Police spokesman Captain Nkosikho Mzuku said: “I can confirm that police assisted in a search of four juvenile offenders after being informed by security guards.
“The department of social development are the ones who opened the case.”
The Dispatch contacted the department’s MEC Nancy Sihlwayi, her spokesman Mzukisi Solani and department head Stanley Khanyile for comment but they said they were not aware of the escape.
The department’s communications manager Gcobani Maswana, who has in the past assisted with media queries, has been suspended.
Sihlwayi said: “I don’t deal with the media, there are people who are appointed to deal with the media – they are the ones who must assist you because I am not even aware of the incident.”
When contacted for comment on Tuesday evening, Solani said: “The people who have the information that you require have gone home already.
“You can go ahead and write the story, if it needs challenging we will definitely challenge it.”
Khanyile promised to come back to the Dispatch with information.
When the Dispatch visited the scene, four social development officials were seen walking along the periphery of the facility’s barbed wired fence, presumably trying to determine how the youths escaped.
Security has been beefed up, with four guards stationed at the entrance near the electric gate. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
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