Escaped Inmate Found Dead, Calls Grow to End G4S Prison Contract Amid Abuse Claims

The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has confirmed the death of an inmate who recently escaped from Allandale Correctional Centre in the Western Cape, deepening concerns over prison management and sparking renewed calls to end the state’s relationship with private security firm G4S.

Escape and Death of Graine Martin

The offender, identified as Graine Martin, escaped custody on Tuesday while participating in the facility’s Agricultural Programme. He had been serving a 12-year sentence for three counts of assault and theft after being sentenced on 29 August 2023.

Following an intensive manhunt involving SAPS officers and community members, Martin was discovered dead. Preliminary findings suggest he died by suicide through hanging.

“A police report has been opened with SAPS, and an inquest is expected in line with applicable procedures,” DCS said, adding that a full-scale investigation would probe both the escape and the circumstances leading to his death.

Spotlight on G4S and Mangaung Correctional Centre

While Martin’s case unfolded, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services sharply criticized G4S, the private security contractor managing the Mangaung Correctional Centre in the Free State.

Committee chairperson Kgomotso Anthea Ramolobeng condemned G4S for operating “as a law unto themselves,” after it emerged that the company had delayed reporting an unnatural inmate death that occurred in March 2025 until September 2025.

Allegations of Torture and Cover-Up

According to testimony heard by the committee, an inmate with asthma died after being assaulted and tortured during a search operation at Mangaung. Reports indicate he suffered severe injuries, blunt force trauma from tonfa strikes, and complications from pepper spray exposure, leading to his death the following day.

Disturbingly, the committee heard allegations that G4S officials instructed staff to avoid hitting the inmate’s face in order to conceal evidence of assault. They also allegedly provided pre-drafted statements to staff, effectively coaching them to align their testimonies.

Ramolobeng stressed that the withholding of the incident report for nearly six months amounted to an attempt to obstruct justice, adding that the behavior was “tantamount to defeating the ends of justice.”

Calls to Terminate G4S Contract

The scandal comes against the backdrop of lingering controversy around Mangaung, which previously gained infamy for the escape and re-arrest of convicted murderer and rapist Thabo Bester in 2022–2023.

With the latest revelations, the committee has demanded the termination of government’s contract with G4S, arguing that the company has consistently failed in its duty to ensure the safety and accountability of prison operations.

“G4S’s refusal to take responsibility and its efforts to obscure investigations undermine the rule of law and cannot be tolerated in South Africa’s correctional system,” the committee concluded.

Broader Questions About Private Prisons

The unfolding crises at Allandale and Mangaung highlight a wider debate about outsourcing correctional services to private firms. Critics argue that profit motives compromise transparency, oversight, and human rights, while supporters insist private contractors can provide efficiency and relieve pressure on state institutions.

With investigations ongoing, the fate of G4S’s contract hangs in the balance, and the spotlight on prison governance in South Africa is unlikely to dim anytime soon.