COURT escapee Siphamandla Sithole, who absconded from the Richards Bay Magistrate’s Court on 13 February, was shot and re-arrested on Monday evening.
The 28-year-old suspect, who fled while appearing on a charge of business burglary in Alton, was wounded in the leg after being shot at the CBD taxi rank around 6.30pm.
Acting on a tip-off from an informer, off-duty investigating officer Const S Shoba of the Richards Bay Detective Unit, backed by Capt AM Mtshali, confronted and shot the armed suspect.
The handgun recovered will undergo ballistics testing to check on possible links to other crimes.
A second escape from the same court shortly after 3pm yesterday saw a fleeing rape suspect shot in the shoulder by an alert Richards Bay SAPS court orderly.
Both escapees are in hospital under police guard.
The brazen attempts to elude trial, two within six days, have highlighted serious safety shortcomings at the outdated Richards Bay courthouse.
Not only does the physical premises leave much to be desired – one sliding gate leading to the holding cells is totally inoperable – but the number of police available to secure proper oversight over criminals on trial is severely inadequate.
‘The courthouse staff, including magistrates and prosecutors, is highly compromised.
‘There is little to prevent a criminal from attacking or escaping – nor someone intruding from the gallery, for that matter.
‘It is not safe for us or the public,’ said one person employed at the court, who did not want to be named.
Revised plans for the upgraded new courthouse in Premium Promenade have been approved but no date has been announced for commencement of the project.
