Police officers have pinned down the whereabouts of C-Max escapee Annanias Mathe using cellphone records, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported on Tuesday.
It is believed the 29-year-old Mozambican national has not crossed the border and is still in Gauteng.
The report said police officers have been monitoring Mathe’s SMSes to his girlfriend in Gauteng.
National police spokesperson Director Sally de Beer said: ”Police investigators have said from the outset that they are hot on Mathe’s trail and that has not changed, we are very confident that we will catch up with him very shortly,” she said.
Mathe escaped from the A6 section of the prison in Pretoria with what appeared to be Houdini-like ingenuity on November 18.
Mathe apparently stripped and covered his entire body with petroleum jelly to climb out of a window measuring 20cm by 60cm. He faces 51 charges, including murder, attempted murder, rape, hijacking and armed robbery. Following his escape, two men, among them a reverend resembling Mathe, were arrested and later freed.
Investigating officer Arnold Boonstra said anyone with useful information could call Captain Fires Jansen van Vuuren on 082-822-8174 or Inspector Selepe on 082-225-2230. – Sapa