Kgosi Mampuru prison, home to Thabo Bester, damaged by fire
Living units at the home of South Africa’s most dangerous criminals, Kgosi Mampuru II Prison, were damaged by fire.
Two units were completely damaged while four others sustained damage to the roof and extensive smoke damage, after a fire broke out at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Facility in Tshwane, which is home to some of the country’s most notorious criminals such as serial insurance murderer Rosemary Ndlovu and Facebook rapist Thabo Bester.
The incident happened on Thursday afternoon, 25 April.
LIVING UNITS DAMAGED BY FIRE AT KGOSI MAMPURU PRISON
City of Tshwane Emergency Services spokesperson Charles Mabaso said a fire broke out at one of the living quarters at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Facility in Pretoria on Thursday.
Firefighters arrived on the scene to find four units of an about 150m long structure with about ten units engulfed by fire and immediately commenced firefighting operations.
Paramedics treated four women for smoke inhalation and transported them to the hospital in stable condition.
“While conducting search operations in one of the units filled with dense smoke, a firefighter discovered a lifeless cat and immediately brought it out of the unit while conducting cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The cat regained consciousness, and paramedics administered oxygen therapy,” Mabaso added.
MANAGEMENT TO PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION
Mabaso said the fire completely damaged two units, while the other four sustained damage to the roof and extensive smoke damage.
He said they suspect that the fire started in one of the units and rapidly spread to other units as there are no firewalls between them.
“A total of 26 of the tenants living in the units were affected by the fire, but the management of the correctional facility indicated that alternative accommodation would be arranged for them. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined,” he added.
HOME TO SOME OF THE COUNTRY’S DANGEROUS CRIMINALS
Some of South Africa’s most notorious criminals at some point served their sentences at the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Facility.
These include former athlete Oscar Pistorius, who was recently released on parole, serial insurance murderer Rosemary Ndlovu, the late serial rapist and murderer Ananias Mathe and “Dros rapist” Nicholas Ninow.
