South Africa's most wanted criminal was shot and recaptured on Monday two weeks after he greased himself with petroleum jelly to squeeze out of the country's top security prison.
In the end, it was a private security guard, not police, who caught up with Annanias Mathe, a Mozambican awaiting trial on 51 charges including murder and rape. And the guard won't even get a reward, as none was offered for Mathe.
Mathe stole a car in Johannesburg fitted with a tracking device, and the security company that had installed it followed with the help of a helicopter. Such devices are common in a country where car theft is a major problem.
He abandoned the vehicle northeast of Johannesburg and fled on foot. An employee of the tracking company, who has been identified by local radio as Joseph Makula, pursued him and was stabbed in the face with a screwdriver. He and a colleague then fired at Mathe, hitting him in the buttocks and legs.
"I told him to stop but he didn't. That is when we shot him. He was then 100 percent under our control," Makula told SABC radio news.
Andy Baker, managing director of the tracking company Altech Netstar, praised his employees.
"They went beyond the call of duty when they chased Mathe down," he said.
He said he did not believe the capture by a private security company reflected badly on the police.
"We are delighted to be able to help bring this guy in. I know the police have been working feverishly on the case. Sometimes you just need a break," he said.
A relieved Cameron Meiklejohn, who was tied up along with her daughter by Mathe when he stole her car, told SABC: "I realize how lucky I was and I am also happy my car was recovered."
Mathe was taken back to Pretoria's C-Max but was later moved to a local hospital for an operation for a broken leg. He is being kept under heavy guard by both police officers and prison guards.
Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour said that officials who were suspected of helping Mathe escape were suspended pending an investigation.
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