G4S says it sacked three employees after Thabo Bester prison cell fire

G4S Correction Services on Tuesday said it had dismissed three of its employees in relation to their conduct on the day that a fire broke out in the cell of convicted murderer and serial rapist Thabo Bester in May last year. 

Though the department of correctional services and the police have said Bester had already escaped from the prison when the fire broke out, G4S has maintained that he died in the fire. 

G4S is the contractor of the privately run Mangaung maximum-security prison where Bester was serving his sentence.  

“On May 3 2022, G4S Correction Services (SA) notified the department of correctional services (DCS) and the SA Police Service (SAPS) of a fire at a Mangaung Correctional Centre (MCC) and the tragic death of a prisoner.  

“On 5 May, after an initial investigation, G4S Correction Services (SA) alerted SAPS to a number of concerns surrounding the circumstances of the fire. SAPS were supplied with relevant information and evidence.

“Three employees at MCC were suspended shortly after the incident. These employees were subsequently dismissed in September 2022, December 2022 and January 2023 respectively for matters relating to their conduct on the evening of May 3 2022,” G4S said in a statement.  

The company said it has fully co-operated with the authorities and will continue to do so.

“We await the conclusions from the police on their investigation into what happened on May 3 2022.”

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