Two dangerous awaiting-trial prisoners escaped from the Mdantsane Regional Court holding cells on Monday after their lawyer left them unattended when he had finished consulting with them.
The two suspects – Thabani Mkhokheli, 30, and Lulekani Somtsora, 25 – were in court to face a charge of murder, four counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, one of house breaking with intent to rob, one of illegal possession of a firearm and one of being in illegal possession of ammunition.
The two men allegedly terrorised businesses and households in Mdantsane from last year.
They are charged with killing a foreign shop owner during a botched business robbery in NU5, and of robbing at gunpoint a woman in NU1 of her plasma TV and other household belongings.
On July 24 last year they are believed to have broken into the Nelikhaya Butchery in NU12 and robbed it at gunpoint after 6pm.
The robbers fled with R70000. In early August last year the two men were arrested, allegedly during a house robbery.
National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesman Tshepo Ndwalaza said the two had been left in the holding cells by their attorney, who’d had to rush to another case after consulting with them.
They have been held at the West Bank prison to await their trial since their arrests last year.
Eastern Cape Correctional Services provincial commissioner Nkosinathi Breakfast declined to comment.
Witness to the escape and also a witness in the case against the pair, Siviwe Mnyanya, 28, said she last saw the two leaving the court building with a police officer.
“I saw them peeking through the corner while we were sitting in the waiting area outside the courtroom. Moments after that I saw them emerging with a police officer and went out the door.
“Moments later I heard that they were missing,” Mnyanya said.
Mdantsane police spokesman Captain Nkosikho Mzuku said a manhunt had been launched for the dangerous suspects.
“A search team has been assembled to search for the missing suspects.
“Police are following leads. Neither have been arrested yet.”
Mzuku said Somtsora and Mkhokeli “were left in the presence of their lawyer, as he was busy consulting with them”.
“Unfortunately when the lawyer was done, he never informed the police that the consultation was over and it is believed that the suspects escaped at that moment,” he said.
Mzuku said police were treating the incident in a very serious light and would investigate the matter “vigorously”.
The spokesman said they had also launched an internal probe “to ascertain whether our members have conducted themselves negligently in this matter”.
“A case of escaping was opened and currently under investigation, while an additional charge of escaping lawful police custody will be added into both suspect’s charge sheets,” Mzuku said.
The police have warned members of the public not to try and apprehend the suspects as they are “dangerous”.
Anyone with information is urged to contact investigating officer Detective-Sergeant Phuthumile Kwenene on 079-408-9104 or their nearest police station or Crime Stop on 08600-10111.
lChaos erupted at the Mthatha High Court when awaiting-trial-prisoner Luthando Mndayi, of Payne Farms village near Mthatha, attempted to escape after stabbing and injuring a policeman on Monday.
He was shot dead while trying to attack another officer, said Mthatha cluster police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mzukisi Fatyela yesterday.
Mndayi was facing a charge of murder, allegedly committed near the Mthatha dam in 2010.
The commotion at 4pm at the rear entrance of the Mthatha courtyard adjacent to the judges’ entrance left court officials in a panic. Fatyela said the incident happened as seven prisoners facing serious charges were to be loaded into a prison-bound van to return them to Wellington Prison.
“One of the prisoners drew a knife and charged at one of the escorting police officers.
“He stabbed one officer several times in the upper body and badly injured him. He left him a pool of blood and charged at the other police officers aggressively.
“He ignored orders to put down the knife and kept advancing despite warning shots.
“To protect himself and the lives of others, the officers shot him in the upper body, fatally injuring the prisoner, just near the gate of the guard house,” Fatyela said.
He said the other six prisoners did not join the attack or attempt to escape. The injured policeman was rushed to hospital, he added. “The other inmates were taken back to Wellington prison.” — malibongwed@dispatch.co.za, with additional reporting by Lulamile Feni