Dear Editor
The DA demands urgent answers from the Minister of Correctional Services, Pieter Groenewald, following alarming revelations that two dangerous inmates – convicted of murder and rape – are no longer in custody, despite a High Court order that they be detained at Pollsmoor Correctional Centre.
Me-Kayle Timmie, Mikyle Mentoor, and Xolani Du Preez were sentenced to detention for violent crimes. Initially held at the Horizon Child and Youth Care Centre due to their age, they 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 Magistrates’ Court on new assault 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.
In April 2025, Du Preez was re-arrested for robbery in Table View, raising the question of how he was committing further crimes while he was supposed to be serving an 11-year sentence, which includes 2 years and 245 days in a youth care facility and 8 years in prison.
On Monday, the DA wrote to Minister Groenewald requesting urgent confirmation of their whereabouts. The Minister responded that all three were detained at Pollsmoor Remand Detainee Centre.
However, during an oversight visit to Pollsmoor today, I established that:
- Timmie was transferred to Drakenstein Correctional Centre and released in February 2025;
- 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 22 April – days after the Table View robbery – confirming he was indeed on the streets at the time.
This raises deeply troubling questions as to why the Minister provided Parliament with false information when violent offenders were clearly not in custody as well as how many other such administrative bungles have gone unnoticed.
It is unacceptable that, in these circumstances, victims may be unaware that their attackers are back on the streets – long before they should be.
The DA has again written to Minister Groenewald, informing him that his response was factually incorrect, and demanding to know:
- What immediate steps will be taken to ensure Timmie and Mentoor are returned to custody;
- What measures will be put in place to ensure victims are informed and protected;
- Why the Department failed to comply with the High Court order that these offenders be detained at Pollsmoor until at least October 2025; and
- Whether he will inform the Judge-President of the Western Cape High Court of the incident.
The Department of Correctional Services have neglected their role in securing the safety of South Africans and the DA will ensure that this failure is accounted for and addressed in Parliament.
Regards
Nicholas Gotsell MP
DA NCOP Member on Security & Justice