Talk 20 October 2022

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Escaped poachers ‘delaying inevitable’
SUE MACLENNAN
Five convicted rhino poachers who
escaped from Waainek
Correctional facility in Makhanda
in the early hours of Tuesday October
18 were simply delaying the inevitable,
said senior prosecutor Buks Coetzee.
One of the seven escapees has been
arrested.
The five were awaiting sentencing
in the Makhanda high court after their
conviction on charges of conspiracy to
poach rhinos.
They were among seven inmates
awaiting sentencing who escaped from
the facility, which is on the west side of
Makhanda, close to the N2.
South African Police Service
spokesperson Majola Nkohli said on
Tu e s d ay, at about 4am, an officer
arrived for standby duty at the prison
when she saw lights on in one of the
units.
“It was discovered that seven
prisoners had escaped through a
w i n d ow,” Nkohli said.
Provincial commissioner
Lieutenant-General Nomthetheleli
Mene immediately implemented a 72-
hour activation plan.
Police opened a case of escaping
from lawful custody for further
i nve s t i g a t i o n .
The escapees include L u v u yo
September, a South African citizen,
who was detained for charges of
murder, attempted murder, kidnapping
and robbery, and Bennet Kwarrie, a
Zimbabwean national, who was
DANGEROUS CRIMINALS: Francis Chitiyo, Trymore Chauke, Misheck Chauke, Simba Misinge, Nhamo Muyambo
and Abraham Moyane during an adjournment when judge Gerard Bloem convicted them on charges of conspiracy
to poach rhinos in the Makhanda high court on September 30. All except Misheck Chauke escaped from Waainek
Correctional Facility in Makhanda early on Tuesday October 18. Picture: SUE MACLENNAN
detained for housebreaking and theft
and attempted murder.
The other five escapees, who were
convicted in the Makhanda high court
on September 20 on charges of
conspiracy to poach rhinos, are Francis
Chitiyo, Trymore Chauke, Simba
Masinge, Nhamo Muyambo and
Abraham Moyane.
They are all Zimbabwean nationals
and were scheduled for sentencing on
November 4. The five poachers were
arrested on the N2 near Makhanda in
July 2018, together with Misheck
Chauke, who has not been identified as
one of the escapees.
The six had been in custody since
then. The case was precedent-setting in
that it was the first from arrest to
conviction for conspiracy to poach
rhinos, and the first case in the Eastern
Cape to test evidence without there
having been a dead rhino or a rhino
horn. A similar conviction ( c o n s p i ra cy
to poach rhinos) in the Gqeberha high
court two weeks earlier was reached
through admission of guilt.
These convictions were achieved
through meticulously detailed
evidence that included up-to-theminute
analysis of cellphone records.
Economic and tourism MEC
Mlungisi Mvoko hailed the verdict as a
victory, saying it sent “a strong message
to prospective poachers that there are
dire consequences to poaching in the
Eastern Cape”.
Prosecutor Buks Coetzee,
commenting on the poachers’ escape,
said: “I am very disappointed in the fact
that it is possible to escape from prison.
“It leaves a bad taste in the mouth
that prisoners can escape who are
convicted of serious crimes that attract
long-term sentences.
“We don’t know what arrangements
they are able to make to hide out within
South Africa, but they hopefully will
not be allowed to cross the border.”
Asked if he felt this was a blow to
the recent victory for the sector,
Coetzee said: “No, this is just a setback.
They have been convicted and it’s just a
matter of time before they are caught
and sentenced.
“I have every confidence in the
ability of the South African Police
Service to track them down and rearrest
t h e m ,” Coetzee said.
In an update on Wednesday, SAPS
Provincial spokesperson Brigadier
Thembinkosi Kinana said one of the
escapees had been arrested. He did not
confirm which of the seven this was,
h ow e ve r.
Police warned the community that
the prisoners were dangerous and
should not be approached, and instead
the police must be contacted.
“We are also urging communities
not to protect these criminals as they
will be committing an offence if found
to be aiding and abetting them,” Nkohli
said.
Anyone with information about the
whereabouts of these criminals is urged
to contact the investigating officer,
Detective Captain Glen Peter, on 082-
301-9427 or Crime Stop on 08600-
10111 or the nearest police station.
News of the prisoners’ escape on
Tuesday unfolded on community
WhatsApp groups across Makhanda.
Group members reported hearing
the prison alarm sounding and police
and security personnel everywhere.
Police had stopped a group of
cyclists out on an early morning ride,
telling them about the escape and
warning them to be careful.
Later, locals reported helicopters
and roadblocks around Makhanda and
Port Alfred – part of the SAPS 72-hour
activation plan.
Operation ‘Take Back Our Town’ in full swing
Congratulations and
wishing the
PA BRIDGE
CLUB
lots of happiness
and great Bridge in
their new home at the
Sports Club.
Anyone interested in joining can contact
Emil Jurgensen - 072 602 0654
ACVV DIAZ HOME
ALEXANDRIA
The Chairperson and Management Committee of
ACVV ALEXANDRIA request
the pleasure of your company at our
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
On THURSDAY, 3 NOVEMBER 2022
at ACVV Diaz Home, Retief street, Alexandria
Time : 10H00
RSVP : 046-6530133 by / before 31 October 2022
**********
Die Voorsitter en Bestuurskomitee van ACVV ALEXANDRIA
nooi u uit na die
ALGEMENE JAARVERGADERING
Op DONDERDAG 3 NOVEMBER 2022
te ACVV Huis Diaz, Retiefstraat, Alexandria
Tyd : 10H00
RSVP : 046-6530133 voor 31 OKTOBER 2022
**********
Usihlalo kunye ne Bhodi yakwa ACVV ALEXANDRIA,
Bayanimema ngovuyo kwi
NTLANGANISO YENGXELO YONYAKA
3 NOVEMBER 2022
ACVV Huis Diaz, Retief street, Alexandria
Ixesha : 10H00
RSVP : 046-6530133 phambi kamhla we 31 October 2022
REAPING SUCCESS: On Friday October 14, the Multi Security team joined the South African
Police Service in a co-operative crime prevention operation. They focused on secluded areas
behind public facilities such as the bowling club, hospital grounds, Heritage Mall taxi rank, and
Rosehill Mall, as well as nearby ATMs, which are a hotspot. “The continued operation has
proven to be massively successful and we will continue with our proactive, zero tolerance to
crime approach,” said Multi Security’s Clinton Millard. Pictures: SUPPLIED
Drivers licence machine broken
SUE MACLENNAN
The 20-year-old machine that
prints S A’s driver’s licences has
broken down for a second
time.
It broke down in N ove m b e r
2021 and was sent to Germany
for repairs. German technicians
are now coming to SA to fix it.
Unusually long delays
reported by licence applicants
in Makana and Ndlambe
prompted Talk of the Town to
ask whether the licence
printing machine had broken
down again and this was
confirmed by the Eastern
Cape’s acting chief director:
transport regulations, Xolisa
Ja k u j a .
“It is confirmed that the
machine is broken down, but it
is expected that a technician
from Germany will be
attending to it this weekend
[and that all will be] back to
normal by Tuesday,” said
Ja k u j a .
According to TimesLive,
about one million people
waiting to be issued with new
or renewed driver’s licences
were affected by the two-anda-half-months
outage from
November 7 2021 to Ja n u a r y
26 2022, worsened by the
Covid-19 lockdown.
Minster of transport Fikile
Mbalula announced last month
that the current d r ive r ’s licence
card was to be replaced to
comply with international
standards.
The current card and
machine will be
decommissioned on April 1
2024.
Th e current cards will be
valid until March 31 2029.
40 North Street, Port Alfred
Tel.: Colin Maclachlan 083 521 3623
or Peter Charter 082 569 3478
AUCTION ON SATURDAY
29 OCTOBER 2022
STARTING AT 10:00 FOR 10:15
24 Hours: 046 624 2508
Ź
M U LT I S ECU R I T Y
CRIME REPORT
● Monday 9.45am, North Street
– Armed response attended to an
alarm and reported theft on site.
● Monday 1.52pm,
Mooifontein Road – Client
reported cables stolen on site.
● Th u r s d ay 9 . 4 2 p m , Hallier
Street – While patrolling, armed
response noted attempted breakin
at premises.
● Saturday 12.39pm, Grand
Street – Armed response
attended to positive break-in.
● Sunday 8.32pm, Mooifontein
Road – Client reported cable
stolen at premises. Armed
response attended.