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.