Urgent investigation into missing inmates at Pollsmoor

Correctional Services says an investigation is under way to ascertain the facts following reports of the possible disappearance of two dangerous inmates at Pollsmoor Correctional Centre. 

The DA has demanded answers from Correctional Services Minister Pieter Groenewald, saying the two convicted offenders, Me-Kayle Timmie and Mikyle Mentoor, should be detained at the correctional facility until at least October 2025. 

The party said this was according to a high court order. 

The two are serving sentences for rape and murder, respectively.

On Tuesday, the party also wrote to Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to confirm whether his department has been informed of the possible disappearance of the two inmates. 

DA National Council of Provinces member on security and justice, Nicholas Gotsell, said it has been almost a week since the party’s oversight visit to Pollsmoor revealed that officials could not account for either individual. 

Gotsell said despite this, the party did not receive any response from its letter sent on May 14. 

Groenewald's spokesperson, Eune Oelofsen, said an investigation is under way to ascertain the correct facts. 

“The minister is still awaiting the outcome of this investigation and will comment once it is received,” said Oelofsen.

However, Gotsell said: “One would think this investigation would have been concluded within 24 hours and the police alerted immediately.” 

Mchunu's spokesperson, Kamogelo Mogotsi, said the letter has been received by the office of the minister but has not yet been presented to him.

In the letter, Gotsell said he was informed that Timmie was released by the officials of the Drakenstein Correctional Centre in February.

“This is in contravention of the court order in July 2024. Mikyle Mentoor could also not be accounted for. In fact, the date of birth of Mikyle Mentoor on their system did correlate with his date of birth in the court order,” read the letter.

The two were arrested for various crimes with Xolani du Preez, who has since been re-arrested for robbery in Table View in April 2025.

Initially, they were held at the Horizon Child and Youth Care Centre due to their age and were transferred to Pollsmoor Juvenile Centre in July 2024, after violently assaulting a staff member.

A sharpened object was used in the assault. 

Despite being sentenced prisoners, they were later transported to the Blue Downs Magistrate's Court on new charges.

“Legally, they were remand detainees for that purpose only - but as sentenced prisoners, they should have been returned to Pollsmoor thereafter. Instead, they vanished,” said the DA in a statement last week.

Gotsell said Du Preez's re-arrest raised the question of how he was committing further crimes while he was supposed to be serving an 11-year sentence, which includes two years and 245 days in a youth care facility, and eight years in prison.

He said he then wrote to Groenewald requesting urgent confirmation of their whereabouts, and the minister responded that all three were detained at Pollsmoor Remand Detention Centre.

Gotsell said during an oversight visit, he established that Timmie was transferred to Drakenstein and released in February. He said Mentoor was released to court in December 2024 and has not been re-booked into Pollsmoor. Du Preez was only re-booked into Medium A on April 22, days after the Table View robbery, which confirmed he was indeed on the streets at the time.

“The minister’s silence is troubling, particularly in light of the fact that Du Preez, a third offender who was subject to the same court order, was only re-admitted to Pollsmoor on April 22 after allegedly committing a robbery in Table View."

That incident - and Du Preez’s return to Pollsmoor - should have triggered immediate concern within the department and prompted a review of the whereabouts of all three individuals, said Gotsell.

He said the fact that this was ignored and not brought to the attention of the minister points to a serious breakdown in communication between Correctional Services senior management and the Ministry. 

“If Timmie and Mentoor have indeed been released, Minister Groenewald should have confirmed this by now and explained what steps are being taken to ensure the safety of victims and the South African public,” he added.

Cape Times