Prison officer quits to avoid grilling

Manaka told the commission chairman Justice Realeboha Mathaba on Monday that he had notified Thamae last Sunday about the summons to appear before the commission.

Manaka said he found Thamae’s early retirement letter on his desk this week.

“That letter (had some mistakes) and he had to come to work to fix the (mistakes) in the letter,” he said.

He said he called Thamae on the phone and told him to come and collect his summonses to appear before the commission and fix his resignation letter.

AC Manaka said on Monday this week, he found another letter on his table.

“That one was corrected and I asked my clerk of Thamae’s whereabouts. She said he came and left,” he said.

He said he tried calling Thamae again but failed to get in touch with him as his phone was not available.

“I wanted to ask him why he did not take his summonses from this commission, but I could not find him at all.”

AC Manaka said Thamae knew wherever he was that he had to appear before the commission this week.

The commission this week heard graphic details of how Thamae brutally assaulted inmates from a prisoner, Kotelo ’Ngoae.

’Ngoae told the commission that Thamae entered their cell during the assault that led to the death of one inmate.

He said he was living in a cell from which the six inmates escaped.

He said on the day of the escape Bokang Tsoako, an inmate who was later assaulted to death, used a water pipe to break the airbrick.

He said even though he did not see who went out first all six men escaped in the same way by climbing on a bucket and then pulling others out.

“The first one jumped on top of the bucket and started pulling others out,” ’Ngoae said.

He said the men did not take more than 10 minutes to escape through the hole.

“I made noise after the last one yelling that I needed help as my cellmates were escaping,” he said.

He said the officer came and asked him to show him the hole from where the inmates had escaped.

He also said he was then taken to cell 22 by the police.

“While there Officer Thamae came and asked me to come and to explain what happened,” he said.

He said he did not know Thamae prior to the meeting.

“He asked me how the escape happened and I told him and he told me to go back to the cell.”

While in the cell he heard someone crying and Thamae called him again, telling him that he had lied to him and if he wanted to tell him the truth.

“I told him that I was going to tell him the truth. He asked again and I explained to him.”

He said while he was still explaining what had happened, Thamae hit him with fists, with the other officers joining in the beating.

“I explained to them that fellow prisoners had jumped on the bucket and he beat me again saying I should stop lying,” he said.

’Ngoae said due to the torture, he ended up implicating himself saying he participated in the escape by pushing one escapee.

“I was telling them lies because of the pain.”

“I do not know how many officers were beating me. Officer Thamae is the only one who knows.”

He disclosed that he only had bruises and no other injuries after the beating.

“I was never taken to see a doctor until today.”

“Thamae punched me in the face.”

’Ngoae said Thamae told them that the recruits would come and teach them a lesson.

“On the 22nd December, the recruits indeed came and wreaked havoc like Thamae had promised,” he said.

He said before torturing him, Thamae and other officers were beating one inmate called Paramente.

“They wanted him to tell them where Bokang Molengoane, one of the escapees had gone.”

Thamae was also implicated in the Ombudsman’s report by one inmate called Molungoa Khatala.

He said they were assaulted on December 22 by prison recruits until Officer Thamae warned them that the cell contained sick inmates, including patients with cancer like him.