Pietermaritzburg: Convicted murderer and rapist Thulani Gcaleka has been rearrested following his escape from custody just over a month ago.
According to South African Government News Agency, Gcaleka was rearrested in Gauteng during the early hours of Tuesday after escaping from the Sevontein Correctional Centre, under the Pietermaritzburg Management Area in KwaZulu-Natal. The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) revealed that the National Commissioner, Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale, established a dedicated Track and Tracing Team focused on high-profile and high-risk escapees. This specialized team aims to support existing regional capabilities, ensuring a coordinated response to such incidents, leading to Gcaleka's rearrest.
Gcaleka managed to escape while he was part of a cleaning work team assigned to duties at the prison farm. He is serving a life sentence for attempted murder, attempted rape, rape, common robbery, and housebreaking with the intent to commit an offence. The DCS emphasized that escaping from lawful custody is a serious offence that poses a significant risk to public safety. The department remains committed to swiftly tracing and returning all escapees to custody.
Following his rearrest, Gcaleka will face additional criminal charges for escaping from lawful custody. Internally, he will be reclassified to a higher security category and transferred to a maximum-security correctional facility. After the escape, the DCS announced an internal investigation to determine the circumstances leading to the incident. The department confirmed that disciplinary processes are ongoing to ensure appropriate action is taken against those found negligent or complicit in the escape.
