A Drakenstein Correctional Centre official has been dismissed after an internal disciplinary hearing found him guilty of misconduct relating to the escape of convicted murderer, Landile Yeko, from the prison earlier this year.
Monwabisi Faltein was charged with breaching security measures and dereliction of duties.
According to the charge sheet, he created a security safety risk by switching off lights at the A-unit office before Yeko’s escape.
Faltein failed to conduct regular visits to A-unit cells while performing a second night shift which resulted in Yeko’s escape from his single cell.
Yeko, serving 25 years for murder, housebreaking and theft of a vehicle, made headlines in February when he escaped from his cell.
He used a hacksaw to saw through the bars of his cell’s window.
He was caught and handed a six-month jail sentence for the prison break. Following his arrest, Yeko was kept in a different prison.
Faltein’s union, the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru), told the Cape Times that it would appeal the guilty verdict as Faltein was dismissed “prematurely”.
Popcru shop steward Vuyo Mamkeli said: “When an employee commits a misconduct, it must be investigated and after the investigation, the investigating officer should make recommendations to the delegated authority if there is evidence or not, for a decision.
“Our argument from the beginning of the hearing was that there were no recommendations from the investigating officer for the official to be disciplined and no decision from the delegated authority for the official to be charged formally. But the chairperson allowed the hearing to continue.
“Because the chairperson has a mandate from somewhere, he refused to accept there was no decision.
"In other words, he did not follow the process of a fair hearing. Now he finds the official guilty and proceeds to dismiss him with no evidence.
"But Faltein’s misconduct is the same as those who were handled informally and received warnings,” he said.
Vusumzi Mkhwanazi, one of the four officials charged over Yeko’s escape, was exonerated of the charges against him. The hearing against two more officials will resume in January.
Mamkeli said the delegated authority dealing with their appeal will make a decision on whether Faltein’s matter was handled unfairly.
“What the employer did was to split the four cases against these employees. The chairperson (for the disciplinary hearing of January against the two officials) is the same.
"But this is one investigation. It is about the escape of Yeko. We did not know it was the intention of the employer to split the cases.
"One chairperson understands our arguments but then, when we argue before another person, it is not the case. But this is all one case.”