Times Of Swaziland: ‘SIPHO SHONGWE ESCAPED FROM CUSTODY’

‘SIPHO SHONGWE ESCAPED FROM CUSTODY’
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 BY JABULISA DLAMINI on 13/06/2019 00:55:00


MANZINI - Murder suspect, Sipho Shongwe’s extradition case took a new twist
yesterday when a Barberton Correctional Services Head pleaded with the court to
release him to their custody as he had allegedly escaped and had to finish
serving his life sentence.
The official, Noah Sachason Nkosi, said his duties involved the management and
security of the place, rehabilitation of offenders and to ensure the admission
and release of offenders.
“Sipho Shongwe is a wanted man in South Africa. He was serving a life sentence
when he escaped and was left with 12 years, 11 months and a few days to be
considered for placement (parole).
“Not only is he wanted by the South African Police Service (SAPS) but the
correctional Services too. After his escape, officers in South Africa were
deployed all over to hunt for him. Kindly hand him over to us so that he could
finish serving his life sentence, the earlier the better,” Nkosi said, much to
the shock of a lot of people inside the courtroom. He said when he arrived at
the Barberton Correctional Services Facility in 2015, he was given the task to
manage it and there were about 1 300 inmates and 243 employees.
Nkosi said his other duties included familiarising himself with the whole
administration centre and also going through records.
Records
“While going through the records, I noticed that there was a particular
convict whose name was Sipho ‘City’ Shongwe, who was not fully accounted for
in the records. In 2017, I made the discovery that the inmate had
disappeared,” Nkosi said.
He revealed that in the records, it was disclosed that Shongwe allegedly escaped
from the Correctional Services Facility in 2008 and the escape was reported to
the SAPS, which was ordered to trace and rearrest him.
These are allegations whose varacity is yet to be tested in court.
Nkosi said Shongwe’s particulars were recorded in the system and after
departmental investigations, it was also discovered that the escape matter was
finalised and officers involved disciplined.
“However, I could not see the process of recapturing the convict who had
escaped and I could not also be provided with a case number for the case which
was alleged to have been opened with the SAPS,” Nkosi said.
The officer said he eventually opened a case during that year and deployed a
number of officers to hunt for Shongwe, according to the Correctional Services
Act, which states that an offender who had escaped had to be re-arrested and
brought back to custody. “All offenders are eligible to be released on parole,
due to good behaviour or medical grounds. The offender is sent home to serve the
remaining sentence, however while monitored.
“The parole process entails a positive address which is confirmed by
Correctional Services officers and if he is not a South African citizen, a
deportation order is attached to the parole document and once it is received, it
forms part of the address,” Nkosi said. He added that upon the offender’s
release on parole, he is then taken to the Ministry of Home Affairs and informed
of expectations, rules and regulations. Nkosi said the Home Affairs Department
then takes that particular convict to his or her country of origin.