Visitor sues after being injured in prison shootout
Herald Reporter
Source: The Herald Online
A VISITOR who was shot twice by a group of escaping prisoners at the North End Prison in April 2000 is suing the Minister of Correctional Services for R234 000.
The damages claim, which correctional services is defending, is being heard in the Port Elizabeth High Court.
Leon van der Spuy, who is represented by advocate Leon Schubart, said yesterday he had gone to the prison on April 8 with his girlfriend and two other friends to visit an awaiting-trial prisoner.
He later left the visitors’ room on his own and when he got to his car on the prison premises he came face to face with the three escaping prisoners, two of them armed. One of the prisoners fired two shots, hitting him in the right upper arm and his belt
buckle. The prisoners made their get-away in a bakkie which was parked on the prison premises.
One of the three dangerous escapees was later identified as Mzukizi Nabu, alias “Kubalo”, who was described at the time as an extremely dangerous prisoner who would not hesitate to kill.
At the time of the escape, Nabu was awaiting trial in the High Court where he was charged with the 1998 execution-style murders of four men in Motherwell.
Two of the other escapees were Mzwandile Javu and Gijima Masuku.
They were also at the time serving lengthy sentences for crimes which ranged from armed robbery to attempted murder.
