The two prisoners who escaped while being transported back from prison have been re-arrested.
Mbongosi Mgoqi (24) and Jason Witbooi (22) were successfully apprehended in the Storms River Area at 12 noon today, 6 April, following a tip off by an alert motorist.
Mgoqi and Witbooi escaped from the back of a moving SAPS vehicle on the R62/N2 on-ramp, near the Kareedouw/Humansdorp turn-off at 11:20 on 2 April while being transported back to prison.
This morning Storms River SAPS set up a roadblock on the N2 and pulled a vehicle transporting the two escapees off the road and re-arrested the pair on the spot.
It is believed the pair was hiding in the Kareedouw district and decided to leave the area this morning. They were hitchhiking and obtained a lift from an alert community member who recognised them immediately, ostensibly from the photos published in the media. He notified the Storms River police.
Witbooi was initially arrested for the murder of Norman Ludwig, 69 on a farm in the Joubertina area in October 2018 while Mgoqi was sentenced to five-years imprisonment on 1 April this year on a charge of culpable homicide in August 2007, also in the Louterwater, Joubertina, district.
An SAPS task team searched for the pair following their escape. They are now due to appear in the Humansdorp Magistrate’s Court on 8 April on a charge of escape from lawful custody.
Humansdorp Cluster Commander, Colonel Simon Swarts, thanked the community for the pivotal role they played in the re-arrest of the escapees. Anyone who has any information on crime is asked to contact Crime Stop on 086 00 10111. Callers can remain anonymous and all information is treated with the strictest confidence.
St Francis Chronicle 