Woman guard in S. Africa jail held hostage for 12 hours

Four inmates at a maximum-security prison in South Africa held a female guard hostage for over 12 hours until police rescued her, the prison’s private operator said Thursday.

This was the second hostage situation in a year at the Mangaung Correctional Centre near central city Bloemfontein, run by security firm G4S.

“One female employee was taken hostage by four inmates,” said G4S Africa president Andy Baker in a statement.

The prisoners held the woman from Wednesday morning until a police tactical response team arrived in the evening and freed her an hour later.

“Our employee was not physically harmed,” said Baker, adding the woman was receiving counselling.

Last November two inmates held a prison doctor and nurse hostage at the same prison. The nurse was released quickly and the doctor was freed unharmed some 20 hours later.