Rapist recaptured after month long manhunt following KZN prison escape
2026-03-17 - 12:40
An inmate who escaped from a KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) correctional facility has been rearrested after evading authorities for more than a month. Thulani Gcaleka fled from Sevontein Correctional Centre, located in the Pietermaritzburg district, on 5 February 2026. Gcaleka, who is serving a life sentence for multiple serious crimes – including attempted murder, attempted rape, rape, common robbery, and housebreaking with intent to commit an offence – escaped while assigned to a cleaning work team operating on the prison farm. Inmate nabbed after KZN prison escape The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) said the fugitive was apprehended in the early hours of Tuesday, 17 March, in Gauteng following an intensive search operation. Officials attributed the breakthrough to a dedicated tracking and tracing team within the office of the Correctional Services National Commissioner, Makgothi Thobakgale. The unit is tasked with reinforcing regional capacity by coordinating responses to high-risk incidents, particularly those involving dangerous escapees. ALSO READ: 284 inmates escaped police custody in under a year, and only 82 have been rearrested The department stressed that escape from lawful custody constitutes a serious criminal offence. “Escapees pose a significant risk to public safety, and the department remains resolute in ensuring that all those who evade custody are swiftly traced and returned,” DCS spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said in a statement. Nxumalo confirmed that Gcaleka will now face additional charges linked to his escape from lawful custody. He is also set to be moved to a maximum-security facility after being reclassified to a higher security risk category. Thulani Gcaleka. Picture: X / @DCS_ZA The department indicated that scrutiny will extend beyond the inmate, with officials potentially facing consequences. “Furthermore, the department confirms that disciplinary processes related to the circumstances surrounding the escape are ongoing, to ensure that appropriate action is taken against those found to have been negligent or complicit.” Escape A separate incident in November 2026 saw another convicted offender, Jakob September, recaptured after fleeing from custody in the Western Cape. September had escaped from Helderstroom Correctional Centre in Caledon while carrying out assigned duties within the facility. Authorities later tracked him down and arrested him in the Overberg area. The escape occurred at approximately 11:00 on 7 November, when the 44-year-old slipped away from a dairy work team operating in the animal grazing section of the prison. At the time, he was serving a life sentence handed down in 2011 for rape and murder. NOW READ: Police launch manhunt for prisoner after escaping from Tzaneen Saps