Two Eastern Cape men who escaped from police custody earlier this week were rearrested on Saturday, after being on the run since Tuesday.

Mbongosi Mgoqi, 24 and Jason Witbooi, 22, bolted from the back of a moving police van which was returning to prison from court. 

Police spokesperson Captain Gerda Swart, said the duo was successfully apprehended in the Storms River area at 12:00 on Saturday, with the assistance of an alert motorist.

The motorist spotted Mgoqi and Witbooi hitchhiking and gave them a lift.  

"It was believed that the two escapees were hiding out in the Kareedouw district and they decided to leave the area on Saturday morning. The two, who were hitchhiking this morning, obtained a lift from an alert community member who recognised the two immediately and notified the police in Storms River.  Police officers from the Storms River SAPS set up a roadblock on the N2 this morning and pulled the vehicle with the two escapees off the road and re-arrested them on the spot," she said.

Mgoqi and Witbooi are expected to appear in the Humansdorp Magistrate’s Court on Monday on a charge of escape from lawful custody. 

"Witbooi was arrested for the murder of Norman Ludwig, 69, who resided on a farm in the Joubertina area in October 2018. Mgoqi was sentenced to five-years imprisonment on Monday, a day before he escaped.

"Mgoqi was convicted and sentenced on a charge of culpable homicide that occurred in August 2007, also in the Louterwater in the Joubertina district," said Swart.

She added that acting Humansdorp Cluster Commander, Colonel Simon Swarts thanked the community for the pivotal role that they played in the re-arrest of the escapees.