4 murder-accused wardens from Mangaung Prison to apply for bail
They stand accused of the murder of inmate Mpho Mkhumbeni, who died in March following a raid in his cell where he was severely beaten and pepper-sprayed.
JOHANNESBURG - Four prison wardens from the G4S Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein will make an application for bail on Friday.
They stand accused of the murder of inmate Mpho Mkhumbeni, who died in March following a raid in his cell where he was severely beaten and pepper-sprayed.
Last week, the Department of Correctional Services confirmed that seven officials at the controversial prison were suspended for the incident.
Mangaung prison officials Lebohang Martins, Boitumelo Mooi, Cedric Motshabi and Mojalefa Maarman appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court on Wednesday, facing charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice.
In March, the accused allegedly beat and pepper-sprayed several inmates in a cell at the privately run facility following a raid.
One of the inmates, Mpho Mkhumbeni, who was serving a life sentence for murder dating back to 2014, died the following morning due to his injuries.
In a media briefing last week, the Department of Correctional Services accused seven suspended officials of trying to cover up Mkhumbeni’s murder after post-mortem results showed his death was a result of blunt force trauma to his skull and overexposure to pepper spray.
The Mangaung Correctional Centre is notoriously known for the 2022 high-profile escape of rape and murder convict, Thabo Bester.