At least 82 prisoners remain at large in the Eastern Cape, including nine who escaped from police custody in Nelson Mandela Bay, according to official data presented to the Bhisho legislature.
According to the data, the Nelson Mandela Bay escapes occurred at Kariega, Chatty, Motherwell, Walmer and Mount Road police stations over the past three financial years.
Provincially, the data that was released by the DA in the Eastern Cape form part of more than 160 prisoner escapes recorded since 2022.
In a written response to questions in the legislature, Community Safety MEC Xolile Nqatha confirmed that 43 prisoners escaped in 2022/23, rising sharply to 58 in 2023/24, followed by 36 in 2024/25, with a further 30 already recorded in the current financial year.
Despite re-arrest efforts, a significant number of escapees have not been recaptured. Official data shows that 22 prisoners from 2022/23, 26 from 2023/24, 17 from 2024/25, and 17 from the current year remain at large — a combined total of 82 individuals.
In a statement issued on 3 February, Democratic Alliance (DA) Eastern Cape Chief Whip, Yusuf Cassim, said the escapes “expose serious failures in supervision, compliance and consequence management within the provincial safety system”.
“Accused criminals are walking free while families are left anxious, and communities lose faith in the SAPS ability to protect them,” Cassim said, adding that victims are often forced to relive their trauma and residents are left wondering “who is back on their streets”.
The data indicates that escapes were recorded across all six districts of the Eastern Cape, including Alfred Ndzo, Amathole, Buffalo City, Chris Hani, Joe Gqabi, OR Tambo, Sarah Baartman and Nelson Mandela Bay.
A wide range of police stations were affected, from rural towns such as KwaBhaca, Libode, Qumbu and Willowmore, to urban centres including East London, Mthatha, Mdantsane and Gqeberha.
The Department of Community Safety has acknowledged that escapes are often linked to wrongful release, transportation failures and official negligence.
In response, the DA has written to the MEC demanding urgent intervention, including “a clear accountability plan to prevent further escapes”, immediate reporting on disciplinary outcomes, stricter compliance enforcement at the station level and decisive action against negligence.
