HOW 3 INMATES ESCAPED FROM PRISON ...

MBABANE - In a carefully planned escape, three accused persons, including one on trial for a string of armed robberies, yesterday fled Sidwashini Correctional Facility.

The escape, which occurred in the early hours of yesterday, has reportedly revealed a significant security lapse at the prison. The escapees, Vusi Lionel Dlamini, Emmanuel Marikito Magaya and Siboniso ‘Chudze’ Mavuso, are said to have exploited vulnerabilities within the ageing facility to orchestrate their daring escape.

According to a reliable source, the trio spent two weeks carefully planning their route to freedom. The youngest of the group, is Magaya (23), a Mozambican national believed to have been the mastermind.

Plumbing

According to the source, the prisoners took advantage of the prison’s frequent plumbing issues, using a metallic sink support to dig a tunnel concealed behind a toilet.  To mask the sound of their digging, they reportedly left a water tap running, creating a constant flow of water that drowned out any suspicious noises.

The insider said, they systematically weakened the wall behind the toilet, creating a hole large enough to crawl through, which led directly outside of their cell block. Once through the wall, they reportedly then lifted the barbed wire perimeter fencing, allowing them to disappear into the pre-dawn darkness. Sidwashini Correctional Facility, also known as Sidwashini Prison, is situated in Mbabane, specifically on Somhlolo Street.

The escaped inmates are not low-level offenders. Dlamini was in the midst of a trial at Mbabane Magistrates Court, facing charges related to numerous housebreakings, thefts and an armed robbery in Lobamba. His alleged crimes, detailed in court documents, involve breaking into shops, residential properties, stealing cash, electronics and other valuable items.

According to the charge sheet, Dlamini broke into and entered various spaza shops, retail stores and residential properties with the intent to steal, resulting in the theft of cash, gadgets, foodstuffs, alcohol and cigarettes, among other items. The offences were committed at Khula, Ebuka, and Elangeni, with the total value of stolen property amounting to E85 610. Information gathered indicated that most of the shops that were broken into had their roofs cut; giving the complainants the impression that entry had been gained through the roof holes during the night.

Dlamini is also accused of having robbed a resident of Khula at gunpoint, taking E8 154 in cash and a cellphone valued at E4 000. When he appeared in court charged with ten counts yesterday, Dlamini opted to hire a lawyer to represent him in the matter. The Crown applied for Dlamini to be remanded in custody until January 16, 2025, pending the setting of a trial date in the presence of his attorney.

Stealing

Magaya was awaiting trial for breaking into a residential property and stealing electronic goods. He was awaiting trial after being arrested for breaking into Victor Maseko’s house at Dalriach West, where he allegedly stole a black Samsung 23-inch television, a Samsung DVD player, a Hisense mini hi-fi system, and a duvet cover valued at E30 300. Magaya is also implicated in the theft of copper pipes valued at E3 000 from the home of Sibusiso Nhleko, located in Kentrock.

When he recently appeared in court, it became evident that he had a history of previous convictions for similar offences. Consequently, the Crown requested that he be remanded in custody as it intended to establish the commission of the offences.
Mavuso was on trial after being charged with the rape of a 17-year-old pupil.

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