‘Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide’: Correctional Services warns would-be escapees after Rooigrond breakout

The Department of Correctional Services has issued a stark warning to anyone contemplating escaping custody after an inmate who fled a North West maximum-security prison was rearrested within days.

What happened

National Commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services Makhothi Thobakgale confirmed that Edward Khomotso Madiba, who escaped from Rooigrond Maximum Correctional Centre near Mahikeng on 6 September 2026, was rearrested on Wednesday and is back in custody.

Who Madiba is and why he was in custody

Madiba was serving a 20-year sentence after convictions for robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of a firearm and ammunition, kidnapping and for parole violations.

How the arrest unfolded

Thobakgale said the National Tracing Team was activated within hours on Sunday and was joined by other departmental teams. He said the tracing teams were “persistent, methodical and determined.”

“I can confirm that the escapee was apprehended within 72 hours, reaffirming the department’s commitment that offenders who escape from lawful custody will be traced, apprehended and returned to the correctional system.”

According to Thobakgale, the escapee travelled through several locations in the North West Borakalalo Game Reserve, Lebotloane and Damonsville before moving to Brits, where he was taken into custody at a flat.

Department response and ongoing probes

Thobakgale said the operation drew on the department’s tracing capabilities, technology and cooperation with law-enforcement partners. He stressed that the apprehension did not mark the end of the matter, and that the department remained focused on establishing the circumstances that led to the escape and determining accountability.

“Let me therefore send a clear message to anyone who may be contemplating an escape from a correctional facility: there is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. ”

The commissioner said an internal investigation into a possible inside job and the circumstances surrounding the escape was ongoing. He confirmed that eight officials remain on suspension pending the conclusion of the relevant processes.

Custody and next steps

Madiba has been transferred to Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre C-Max in Pretoria, Gauteng, where he remains in custody. Thobakgale said the department will continue to strengthen security measures, improve operational readiness and hold officials accountable where necessary.

“Those who escape will be traced. Those who assist them will face the law. And those entrusted with the security of our correctional facilities will be held to account,” he added.