HE ran for a month but could not hide.
Offender Thulani Gcaleka had been on the run since his escape on 5 February 2026 from Sevontein Correctional Centre, under the Pietermaritzburg Management Area in KZN.
The Department of Correctional Services rearrested an escaped offender who came in the early hours of Tuesday, 17 March 2026, in Gauteng.
According to the DCS, at the time of the escape, the offender was part of a cleaning work team assigned to duties at the prison farm.
"Thulani Gcaleka is serving a life sentence for serious offences, including attempted murder, attempted rape, rape, common robbery, and housebreaking with the intent to commit an offence," Read the statement.
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After his escape, a task team was established to follow in his tail, and the rearrest of Thulani was a direct result of these strengthened efforts.
"The department reiterates that escaping from lawful custody is a serious offence and will not be tolerated. Escapees pose a significant risk to public safety, and the Department remains resolute in ensuring that all those who evade custody are swiftly traced and returned.
"Offender Gcaleka will face additional criminal charges arising from his escape from lawful custody. Internally, he will be reclassified to a higher security category and transferred to a maximum-security correctional facility."
It's allegedly believed that Thulani became famous after a video of him kissing a woman prison warder surfaced some years back.
