Maseru, Mar. 25 — Two Basotho nationals are reported to be among the 69 undocumented foreign nationals who escaped from Lindela Repatriation Centre in Krugersdorp while awaiting deportation on Sunday March 17 this year.
This is according to the Department of Home Affairs.
Lindela is managed by facilities management company EnvironMongz, which also provides security services on behalf of the Department. The escapees include among others those from from Tanzania (38), Malawi (14), Zimbabwe (05), Mozambique (03), Burundi (03), DRC (03) and Nigeria (02).
In its statement, the department said that their investigation revealed that there was an altercation between the inmates and EnvironMongz management and its security team saying that it was during this altercation that 69 undocumented foreign nationals escaped.
“The Department is unhappy about the circumstances and the manner under which this escape happened because we believe enough could have been done by the management company and its security to prevent this incident. Hence, the contract is being scrutinised to decide on the best course of action,” it said.
As an immediate intervention, the Department has taken over the access control and other security functions at the facility by putting a different security company at the gate while the matter is still being investigated.
It stated that at the time of the escape, the facility was holding 1521 undocumented foreign nationals who were awaiting deportation and the 69 escapees were part of this group saying most of these undocumented foreign nationals were scheduled to be deported this past week.
On the other hand, it added that EnviroMongz had informed the Department that earlier on Monday morning following the Sunday incident, there was another attempted escape which was immediately brought under control.
One of the deportees succumbed to injuries that allegedly happened during the second attempted escape. This incident is now the subject of police investigation in addition to how the escape of March 17, 2024 occurred. As part of the probe, police have arrested two security officers and they are in custody.
Meanwhile, the Department is working with other law enforcement agencies to track down the escapees. As a result, one escapee has already been re-arrested.
This happened days after announcement that Basotho have been accorded 90 days visa free whenever they cross border into their neighbouring South Africa as opposed to the normal 30 days which will be effective as soon as South Africa has received its precedence minute.
