News Desk Reporter
A 72-hour search for a Rooigrond prison escapee has ended in Brits, North West, where Edward Kgomotso Madiba was found hiding in a flat.
Madiba escaped from Rooigrond Maximum Correctional Centre near Mahikeng on 6 September, triggering a nationwide tracing operation.
Investigators followed his trail through several locations in North West, including Borakalalo Game Reserve, Lebotloane and Damonsville, before closing in on him in Brits.
The Department of Correctional Services said its National Tracing Team was deployed within hours of the escape and worked with law-enforcement partners and technology to locate Madiba.
He has now been moved to Kgoši Mampuru II C-Max Correctional Centre, where he remains behind bars.
National Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale said the arrest should serve as a warning to escapees and anyone who helps them.
“There is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide,” he said.
The department’s investigation into how Madiba managed to escape is still underway, with eight officials suspended while due process continues.
Thobakgale said disciplinary action would follow if the investigation finds evidence of wrongdoing, negligence or failure to follow procedures.
He also thanked the tracing team and law-enforcement partners who helped bring the manhunt to an end.
North West Provincial Commissioner Lt Gen Arthur Adams praised the coordinated operation and the cooperation between police, Correctional Services and the farming community.
“This successful rearrest demonstrates the value of timely intelligence, coordinated operations and strong cooperation between law enforcement agencies, correctional services and communities,” he said.
Adams also thanked members of the public and the farming community who provided information that helped police locate Madiba.