Woman in court for smuggling weapon into court

Johannesburg - A woman accused of smuggling a gun into court to help prisoners escape appeared in the Mthatha Magistrate's Court on Monday, Eastern Cape police said.

Lieutenant Colonel Mzukisi Fatyela said the case against Aviziwe Bila, 27, was postponed to 26 January for trial.

She allegedly put a loaded firearm into a dustbin at the court in September.

Two prisoners were shot dead when one of them retrieved the gun from the dustbin and began shooting in a bid to escape.

A shoot-out with correctional services officers broke out, during which one of the escapees managed to disarm an official and one official was shot in the leg.