Maputo Prison Escapee Caught in Sandton As Interpol, Border Police Pounce

• A Mozambican national who was among over a reported 1,500 escapees from a Maputo prison has been captured
• Prisoners broke out of jail amid post-election protests and violence across Mozambique on 25 December 2024
• The fugitive, Nelson Simiao Massango, was arrested at a car dealership in Sandton, Johannesburg, on 12 March
• Brigadier Athlenda Mathe told Briefly News Nelson Simiao Massango was nabbed at a dealership in Sandton

Tshepiso Mametela is a seasoned journalist and the Head of Current Affairs at Briefly News. He reported live from President Cyril Ramaphosa's inauguration and has written articles on politics, crime, courts, accidents, and topics including sports at The Herald and Opera News SA over several years.

JOHANNESBURG — South African authorities moved in on another Mozambican national, part of thousands of inmates who escaped from the Maputo Central Prison during unrest on Wednesday, 25 December 2024.

Initial reports had estimated the number of escapees to be around 6,000, with the official figure later confirmed to be over 1,500.

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Mozambican fugitive back in custody

The escapes occurred amid post-election protests and violence in Mozambique, with some reports suggesting a revolt or riot at the prison.

Since then, authorities have been actively searching for the escapees, with several apprehended in South Africa, including two men in Malelane, Mpumalanga, on Sunday, 26 January 2025.

In a statement sent to Briefly News, National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the South African Police Service (SAPS) Border Policing High-Density unit arrested Nelson Simiao Massango, a convicted murderer, in Sandton, Johannesburg, on 12 March.

Police tracked down Massango, who was serving a 20-year sentence following his conviction in 2015 for murder, at a car hire dealership.

He is suspected of being involved in a cross-border vehicle smuggling operation overseeing the resell of stolen 4x4 bakkies in Mozambique. Mathe said police were on the hunt for others who may have escaped into SA.

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"Police are investigating him [Massango] as he may be linked to several car theft cases in Gauteng. His modus operandi was to rent 4x4 bakkies, and [allegedly] smuggle [and] sell them in Mozambique.

"Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) agencies in Tshwane and Maputo are engaging on the latest developments," said Mathe.

National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, commending Massango's arrest, said a stern warning was out that SA was not a criminal hideout.

Dangerous Zim fugitive re-arrested

In a related story, Briefly News reported that a notorious criminal who had been on the run after escaping from custody is back behind bars in Limpopo.

Zimbabwean fugitive Lovemore Musoyi was wanted for nearly a dozen serious crimes in the Sekhukhune District.

His crimes include murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, assault, stock theft, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, armed robbery and house and business break-ins, as well as escaping from lawful custody.

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The 32-year-old was recaptured on Friday, 3 January, when police, an Operation Vala Umgodi task force and private security officers cooperated in hunting him.

Source: Briefly News