By Ntombi Mhlongo
A decision on whether the contract of G4S, the security company that has been caught up in the escape of convicted rapist Thabo Bester, will be terminated or not will be known soon.
On Thursday, the South African Minister of Justice, and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola said the decision of the company to manage the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein will be made public by the end of this week.
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Newzroom Afrika quoted Lamola saying the government has to consider whether it can manage the facility before any reckless decisions are made. Lamola reportedly said that more arrests are also expected in the Bester case following his escape from custody.
“We also have to assess our own capacity, if indeed we decide to cancel,” Lamola was quoted saying. Recently, the ministry issued a press statement whereby it refuted reports which circulated to the effect that Lamola had said the contract of the company will not be cancelled.
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The statement highlighted that concerning various contractual breaches at the Mangaung Centre, the department’s presentation to Parliament was clear that a legal opinion on whether the breaches could lead to the termination of the contract was being sought.
Also mentioned by the ministry was that the entire proceedings were replete with instances where the minister (Lamola) reiterated the same point which had regrettably been ignored.
Furthermore, the ministry appealed for accurate and responsible reporting on the matter by the media to avoid confusion for the public amidst a challenging climate of misinformation and fake news on various platforms.