Company managing Lindela Repatriation Centre in hot water

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Minister of Home Affairs Dr Aaron Motsoaledi says that his department it is assessing a contract with facilities management company Enviromongz at the Lindela Repatriation Centre.

This follows the escape of 69 foreign nationals on Sunday and another attempted escape on Monday. The escaped deportation awaiting detainees are from eight African countries including Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Burundi and Nigeria.

Motsoaledi says that one of the escaped foreign national was re-arrested.

“They say there was an altercation with the company and security officers but from the pictures we saw on CCTV, I’m not sure why this should be described as an escape. It looks like people were just walking out and the security doing nothing. The company has got a lot to answer to. In every facility like that, going through the gate will definitely find security there and they’ll deal with you. Now, that these ones just went straight to the gate and nothing happened to them is very suspicious to me. What we were able to do was to replace their security at the gate, with a new security company but the company itself we’re busy studying the contract.”

Below is the full interview with the Minister