G4S vows ‘smooth transition’ as it exits Bloem prison
Private security company G4S says it will continue to work with the Department of Correctional Services and Bloemfontein Correctional Contracts to ensure a smooth transition until end of its contract.
Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola announced on Tuesday that his department has served G4S with a notice to terminate its contract.
The contract was set to expire in 2026.
The decision to terminate the contract with G4S follows the escape saga of convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester.
He escaped from the maximum-security prison in May last year by faking his own death.
He was allegedly assisted by employees at the prison and Dr Nandipha Magudumana.
Bester was rearrested along with Magudumana in Tanzania last month.
“G4S South Africa notes that the Department of Correctional Services has issued a notice of termination to Bloemfontein Correctional Contracts, a private company that has held the contract to manage the Mangaung Correctional Centre since 2000,” a company spokesperson said on Thursday.
“G4S South Africa holds a non-controlling minority investment in BCC and on 22 November 2019 announced that upon expiry of BCC’s contract to manage MCC, G4S would no longer be investing in correctional services in South Africa. G4S is committed to investment in South Africa but it remains G4S’s firm intention to discontinue all investment in correctional services in South Africa.”
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