Five recaptured after daring escape from correctional facility
Authorities in Limpopo are intensifying their search for two convicted prisoners who remain at large following a brazen escape from the Kutama Sinthumule Correctional Service Centre near Makhado in Louis Trichardt.
Seven sentenced inmates broke out of the facility during the night of 29 October 2017, prompting a large-scale manhunt across the region. Through coordinated search operations, law enforcement officers managed to track down and rearrest five of the seven fugitives in the days that followed.
The five recaptured escapees — Jabulani Mahlangu, Ntshengedzeni Manukha, Ntshavheni Munyai, Chris Faku and Justice Makamu, all aged between 25 and 37 — were brought before the Louis Trichardt Magistrate's Court on 31 October 2017. All five were remanded in custody, with their cases postponed to 23 November 2017.
"The police in Makhado are still searching for the two remaining escapees from the seven who escaped from Kutama Sinthumule Correctional Service Centre."
Two suspects granted bail for harbouring fugitives
In a related development, two individuals were arrested and charged with harbouring four of the five recaptured prisoners. The pair appeared in the same court on the same date and were each granted bail of R1 000.
Meanwhile, the two inmates who continue to evade capture have been identified as Phathutshedzo Nemadodzi, a 34-year-old from Dididi outside Thohoyandou, and Raphael Nyota, a 30-year-old Zimbabwean national from Harare. Law enforcement has released photographs of both men and is appealing to the public for any information that could lead to their arrest.
Members of the community who may have knowledge of the whereabouts of either fugitive are urged to come forward and assist investigators. The continued search underscores the determination of authorities to ensure that all seven escapees are returned to custody and held accountable.
The escape from Kutama Sinthumule highlights ongoing concerns about security at South African correctional facilities, particularly privately managed centres tasked with holding sentenced offenders. For communities near Makhado and Thohoyandou, the presence of two fugitives poses a direct safety risk, while the incident raises questions about infrastructure and staffing adequacy. Authorities will likely face pressure to review prison security protocols and cross-border cooperation, given that one escapee is a Zimbabwean national.
