POLOKWANE - Police officers in Seshego at Polokwane have launched a massive manhunt for 13 awaiting trial prisoners who escaped from the police holding cells on Friday night, Limpopo police said.
The preliminary police investigations indicated that these awaiting trial prisoners escaped during a routine cell visit at about 9.30pm, Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said on Saturday.
A dedicated task team, led by the SAPS Seshego policing cluster commander Major General Sam Mokgonyana and comprised of detectives, crime intelligence, and crime prevention officers, had been established to search for these prisoners.
The escapees, who were arrested for businesses robberies and contravention of the Illegal Immigration Act, were identified as Jeffrey Sekunda, 40; Alex Chinengo, 26; Usher Hamadanisa, 27; Edmore Madzudza, 34; Concelia Musengeni, 35; Jeffrey Duvenagwa, 37; Tenashe Moyo, 24; Elvis Charo, 26; Ida Jana, 20; Cosia Mabena, 19; Ludwick Dube, 19; Luckson Manyangadzi, 31; and Mishack Brian, 19.
Police appealed to members of the community to assist them with any information that could lead to the re-arrest of the escapees.They were advised, though, not to approach or try to arrest the escapees, but instead to contact Colonel Simon Mogale at 071-479-2329 or the crime stop number 086-00-10111, or the nearest police station police.
The circumstances around the escape were the subject of ongoing police internal and criminal investigations, Ngoepe said.